Harley-Davidson India Gets A New MD

Former executive vice-president of Suzuki Motorcycle India, Sanjeev Rajasekharan, has joined Harley-Davidson India as its managing director. Rajasekharan will take charge of Harley’s plans to launch mid-size motorcycles in the 250-500cc range in India. He previously served as the executive vice-president (EVP) at Suzuki Motorcycle India and was in charge of sales and after-sales.

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Rajasekharan has over two decades of experience in marketing, sales and operations. Before joining Suzuki, he served as Panasonic India’s deputy divisional managing director for channel and retail. He’s also worked at Electrolux and Samsung, where he eventually went on to become of the head of the Korean brand’s Home Appliances division.

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As for Harley-Davidson’s future plans for India, expect the iconic cruiser manufacturer to launch a slew of products, including an entry-level motorcycle, in the 250-500cc segment in a bid to challenge Royal Enfield. The company has announced that it is on the lookout for a partner in Asia with a manufacturing and distribution chain to launch aggressively priced products in India as well as other ASEAN markets. The new strategy should help the brand attract a younger set of customers while improving its overall sales figures.

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Although speculation was rife that the American cruiser manufacturer was likely to tie up with Hero MotoCorp, considering the homegrown bike manufacturer’s vast dealer network and manufacturing facilities in the country, Hero MotoCorp has denied the rumours. Other major bike manufacturers who have tied up with Indian manufacturers to produce midsize motorcycles include Triumph (Bajaj) and BMW (TVS).

Source: ET Auto