Bajaj Auto hopes to sell around 50,000 units of ‘V’ brand bikes in next 18 months

Bajaj Auto is targeting sales of around 50,000 units of its newly launched ‘V’ brand of bikes in the country within a span of 12-18 months. The V15, a 150cc premium commuter, is the first and only product in this new brand for now, its main draw and selling point being that its fuel tank is crafted from scrap metal salvaged from the now-retired INS Vikrant aircraft carrier.

As such, the first thought that customers and the media alike asked of the V15 was, “how long can such a finite supply of metal last?” Sumeet Narang, Vice President, Motorcycles, Bajaj Auto believes it will last for “some time.”

"It is difficult to give a number right now but we are hopeful that we would be able to continue for some time. ‘V’ as a brand will continue and of course, metal is finite. We are still working on that. Some amount of metals is usable and some cannot be usable," he said. He declined to reveal how much scrapped metal the company bought from the discarded aircraft carrier.

"We should be able to sell close to 50,000 units of this bike nationally in the next 12-18 months," he added.

Sumeet Narang said that Bajaj was “open to evaluating” whether to extend the 'V' brand to other bike categories, but that would depend on acceptance level and to which category of consumers.

According to the Bajaj official, the 150cc segment currently rules the sport segment. Speaking about the sluggish market scenario, he said despite the motorcycle market remaining subdued, its three launches last year were successful in beating the market trend.

Stressing upon the expected growth from rural areas, Narang said, “We have launched a new model of CT-100B in January this year, which costs about Rs. 31,000 ex-showroom Delhi as the scope for rural penetration still remained high. Its nationwide launch is being gradually done. The CT-100 was launched last year at Rs 35,000, when industry price was hovering at Rs 40,000.”

The Bajaj V15 is powered by a 150cc DTS-i engine that produces 12PS of power and 13Nm of torque, and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.