The iconic British bike maker, Triumph Motorcycles has officially announced that it will finally debut in India by November 2013. Earlier, it was speculated that the auto maker will soon expand its wings in India with company officials visiting India quite often. It must be noted that according to the official Facebook page of Triumph Motorcycles, the news stating its entry in the Indian auto market was confirmed. Also, the company will be using its new temporary Completely Knocked Down (CKD) assembly plant in Manesar for assembling motorcycles. Along with, the new planned factory at Narsapura, Bangalore can be used by the company for producing its new bike, which is slated to be available worldwide by the end of 2015.
Explaining future plans of Triumph Motorcycles in India, Paul Stroud, Director of Sales and Marketing was quoted as saying, “2013 is a very crucial year for Triumph Motorcycles in India and as a company, we are confident about the timing of our market entry. In the past few months, we have carefully assessed the market landscape and will be making well-honed efforts to provide our discerning customers with a complete brand experience.”
It must be noted that the bike maker has also announced that Vimal Sumbly has been appointed as the Managing Director of Triumph India. Sumbly, who was previously working as General Manager of Sales with Bajaj Auto has replaced former Triumph India Managing Director Ashish Joshi. With this high profile move, it shows that the company is now following a more tougher approach to make sure its image does not take a beating this time around, considering the issues faced in past. Another reason cited for appointing Sumbly could have been the necessity of appointing an local man that knows how to deal with Indian market conditions. Previously, Triumph sacked two British executives that handle Indian affairs of the company after Ashish Joshi quit.
As revealed by the company, the Indian market may witness the launch of Bonneville, Street Triple, Speed Triple, Daytona 675, Tiger 800 XC, Thunderbird Storm and Rocket III models. Going by what the auto maker announced at 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo, these bikes may be priced reasonably low as compared to its stiff competitor Harley-Davidson. Currently, there is no word regarding the dealerships that will opened in India, but Industry experts are of view that the company will open its showrooms in various metropolitan cities of the country.
