Yamaha India hopes to hit 1.2 million units sales by 2017

Japanese two-wheeler-maker Yamaha targets sales of 800,000 units in 2015 and touch 1.2 million units by 2017 and would inaugurate its plant here next month, said a senior official here on Friday. "We are targeting to sell 800,000 units this year. For 2016, the target is one million units and for 2017 it is 1.2 million units. Since 2008 we are following a top-down approach (focussing on the premium segment first and going down towards mass market)," Roy Kurian, vice president - marketing and sales at Yamaha Motor India Sales told reporters.

According to him, the company is now focussing on the executive segment in the motorcycle segment with its new model 125cc Saluto priced at Rs.52,000. Kurian, however, declined to give any time-frame when queried about the company entering the mass market motorcycle -- 100- 110 cc -- segment. Yamaha Motor India Sales is also looking at expanding its distribution network mainly in rural areas, said Masaki Asano, managing director. The company currently has around 400 dealers and the number would be increased by 150 outlets by the end of this year, Kurian added.

According to Kurian, the two-wheeler industry is expected to touch a total volume of 17 million units this year out of which the executive motorcycle segment would be around two million units. He said the company hopes to sell around 60,000 units of Saluto - the new bike. The model is rolled out of Yamaha's plant here. He said the sales ratio between scooters and motorcycles would be equal in the years to come. Kurian said Yamaha exports to around 60 countries out of India and the target for the current year is around 250,000 units. According to Asano, the Indian two-wheeler market reached 16 million units in 2014, thereby, becoming the world's largest two-wheeler market.

"The motorcycle market constitutes about 68 percent of the total two-wheeler market at 11 million units. Out of this, the 100- 125 cc motorcycle class is the largest category at nine million units, comprising almost 83 percent of the market," Asano said.