Going by actual registrations, the once-distant No. 2 Honda has nearly caught up with former partner Hero. How long can Hero, which also faces dealers’ ire over channel stuffing allegations, hold on to its crown?
Over the past six months, a remarkable trend has been playing out in India’s two-wheeler industry. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, the No. 2 player, has been galloping closely behind market leader Hero MotoCorp in terms of registrations, with just a fickle 5% separating the two where the gap once used to be as much as 50%.
This indicator is vital; it shows what users are actually buying rather than what companies are despatching to dealers. And this isn’t the first time Honda is within striking distance of India’s largest two-wheeler maker. In September last year, it had overtaken Hero …
Ujval leads our Business vertical at The Morning Context. In a corporate career spanning 14 years, he has worked across startups, consulting firms, multinational corporations and large Indian companies, including India Infoline, ICICI, KPMG, Tata Steel and Jubilant Pharma. Ujval has been a freelance writer and trainer for eight years, with bylines in Forbes India and The Economic Times.
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