News Approved.

Yes Mahindra were very keen to enter into the Two Wheeler market...
And they did it by taking over Kinetic....
I hope in another 5 years of mark - mahindra will play a Vital Part in the Indian Two Wheeler Scene......

I am curious, what is 'Premium Segment' in India? Is mahindra trying to launch an out and out sorts bike?

Even if they do manage to produce a premium bike. . .would'nt it look kinda funny having "mahindra" badge on your beloved supersports bike.

As long as we hate our own name... any desi name on a product should look funny...

Maybe it will. But if it goes fast & is practical at the same time, I believe nobody will give a damn...

On to the topic, I have always stressed that the premium segment does have acceptable volume sales.
The main problem is Marketing - Right Product @ Right Place w/ Right amount of Promotion will survive, if not succeed.

If you sell a Rs.14 Lac machine in 2 cities, with no TV advert, you will sell 100 units or so... People don't even know such things exist.

Imagine this "Mahindra presents Scorpio 2WD 250 cc off road bike how would they promote if they name it scorpio and Ha NOTHING ELSE WILL DO!!!!!!!!

but remember even the mighty lamborghini was once a tractor manufacture,so you would never know what would happen in a few year time to that "MAHINDRA" badge!

samarth, i think other way round. No marketing can make a bad product sell.. for long. Just a lame example, Maruti and Bugatti will have different approach to marketing and marketing is just not TV adverts and big hoardings. If you offering a product for particular target audience, you might penetrate the market deeper and harder enough without handing out a single leaflet by sensible branding exercise.

Another lame example, 250R will not necessarily sell 1 unit higher than what it is now, even if it was marketed with road shows and TV campaigns. Though it will make people aware of the product but that doesn't necessarily will make them buy one. Good advertising is, when a brand generates the interest enough to make people go and pay for it, rather than just be aware about it, coz no matter how many times you air the same advert on TV for everyone, those who don't want to or cant afford it wont buy the bike. Marketing is as simple as common sense but not every time, everyone gets it spot on.

Sorry for OT.

If Lambretta can have a GP bike, Mahindra still sounds much better for a road bike, isn'it? if name was so ever important to you

@news- I am excited. Hope Mahindra gets it all right.

Not a bad idea at all actually... an Off Road bike (need not be a 2WD) goes perfectly with the Mahindra brand image. Even the "Mahindra" name sounds music to the ears now.

if the product is good and delivers,how the name sounds hardly matters.Hope it materialises soon...and the ad doesnt sound too bad either.Way to go...

hey..we cant be so critica about mahindra..they are really good..just think how the name Kinetic is extinct now..you just know mahindra..thats it..
like bajaj named the pulsar range..a brand by itself..mahindra too can do the same..they have nothing to loose now.they are late entrants and have the advantage of bringing in the latest that is required..so lets hope they can really teach the other what to launch and how to.

well..the above is wishful thinking..
ECONOMICS ????

exactly.I have no problem with the mahindra badge nor the name.I was just referring to what harmeet said......if they do bring out a worthy product and price it well,it will surely revolutionize the Indian biking space...and we are the ones who'll be rejoicing

Please Please, Mahindra. Launch a proper 'premium' bike and teach those Japanese a lesson or two of what we deserve as we are forced to accept whatever is thrown at us and that too at a premium which they certainly don't deserve.

The other two Indian Manufacturers are resorting to permutations and combinations of their existing lineup which might be working well for them but i am not going to see a major change of how we see the motorcycles anytime soon. I may be want to proved wrong, though!!