4 Kawasaki formally re-enters India as "India Kawasaki Motors"

Kawasaki re-enters India formally.. new models planned for India in 2010

Among the big 4 Japanese bike makers (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki), one name had been missing in India for a long time; that was of Kawasaki. On 24’th April 2010, Kawasaki Heavy Industries officially launched a new Indian subsidiary, India Kawasaki Motors Pvt. Ltd. (IKM).

But wasn’t the Kawasaki Ninja 250R already on sale since 2009 in India? So then why is this new Kawasaki subsidiary being created?

Rajiv Bajaj (right), MD, Bajaj Auto, with Hiroshi Takata, President, Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Photo Credit: Hindu

Kawasaki: First Innings in India

With everything else remaining same, formation of the Kawasaki subsidiary in India probably shows Kawasaki’s commitment towards its operations in India..

Kawasaki had first entered India in 1984 with Bajaj Auto Ltd. with a technical assistance agreement. The marriage had resulted in products like the KB RTZ100/125 (2 stroke), KB 100 4S (4 stroke), the 110/115 cc Caliber, 125 cc Wind and the 175 cc Eliminator.

But as indigenously developed motorcycles by Bajaj started replacing the Kawasaki-Bajaj models, the Kawasaki Logo started to disappear from our Indian roads. Also unlike the other Japanese makers, Kawasaki doesn’t have small engined 100-125 cc road/street motorcycles (there are a few 100-125 cc off road/dual purpose motorcycles though) in their international lineup.

Kawasaki: Second Innings in India

But Kawasaki couldn’t just ignore the second largest two wheeler market in the world for long. In 2009 Kawasaki launched its Ninja 250R, the best twin cylinder 250 cc motorcycle in the world. The baby Ninja 250R is imported to India as Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits and assembled at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan factory (where the Pulsars are manufacturer). Kawasaki also uses the Probiking outlets of Bajaj Auto to sell and service the baby Ninja.



So what will this new India Kawasaki Motors Pvt. Ltd. (IKM) do?

According to Hindu,

Kawasaki's new imports and sales subsidiary, IKM, will consign the production of the completely knocked down (CKD) or imported kits to BAL's Chakan plant. The locally made motorcycles will then be sold together with imported complete motorcycles through BAL's Probiking shops..

We are studying the option of localisation but as of now, have no plans.” Eric Vas, Head, Probiking and President, New Projects, BAL, said, "there has been a fairly large investment in spare parts and sales and service for the Ninja covering 32 cities with exclusive retail space and service stations and this could go up to 35-40 this fiscal."

# Kawasaki would import CKD's

# Assemble them at Bajaj Auto's Chakan plant

# Sell and service the bikes at Bajaj Auto's probiking network

So basically everything will remain the same, Kawasaki would import completely knocked down kits and use Bajaj’s plant at Chakan to assemble them and sell and service them via Bajaj’s Probiking network.

Formation of the Kawasaki subsidiary in India probably shows Kawasaki’s commitment towards its operations in the world’s second largest market. That they are here for a long second innings and not just like a fly by night operator. And oh yes, there are news of more Kawasaki models for India.

Bigger Kawasaki models for India in 2010

"Kawasaki's strength is bigger bikes and before the Ninja 250R launch six months ago, the big bike market in India was around 10 units a month. Ninja alone is doing 80-100 units a month now and Kawasaki is planning the launch of bigger bikes going forward," said Mr. (Rajiv) Bajaj.

Zigwheels in its April issue had an Article on the possible new models for India in 2010..!!

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