Honda eyes pole position in India’s two-wheeler market

Honda Motor Co wants to grab the leading share in India’s two-wheeler market from its erstwhile partner Hero MotoCorp. In a media briefing on the company’s motorcycle business, the Japanese automaker says it has steadily increased sales volume in two-wheelers to the point where the largest market share in India is within reach.

The company says it has enhanced its sales and services network in India, the world’s largest two-wheeler market.

Honda says it will also strive to capture the largest market share in the electric motorcycle market in India. In November, Honda announced two electric motorcycle models designed exclusively for India: ACTIVA e: powered by two units of Honda Mobile Power Pack e:, and the QC1 powered by a fixed battery.

“With the plan to continue introducing more electric models powered by a fixed battery, Honda will leverage its broad sales network to enhance the battery charging network,” the company says.

Of the 30 models targeted for introduction by 2030, Honda has already introduced 13 models.

To further expand sales, Honda says it will pursue various initiatives to strengthen its business in India, including the automation of production plants and active cultivation and utilisation of local suppliers. “In addition, Honda will further expand its motorcycle business by implementing efficient product strategies globally, such as exporting high-value, highly-competitive products nurtured in India to the South American market where customer needs are similar to that of India,” the company says.

Honda began offering a battery-sharing service in India through its local subsidiary, Honda Power Pack Energy India Pvt. Ltd. (HEID), for the further popularisation of electric motorcycle models powered by swappable batteries. Coinciding with the market launch of the ACTIVA e:, HEID will begin offering the Honda e:Swap, battery sharing service that enables battery swapping in three major Indian cities, namely Bengaluru, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Mumbai.

Honda is also working to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). "Honda is striving to sell its electric motorcycle models in the price range where the TCO for the three years of ownership will be equivalent to that of ICE models. To achieve this target, Honda will begin operating a dedicated electric motorcycle production plant in India in 2028. A wide variety of electric models will be produced by combining modules that are commonised for multiple models. Additionally, for batteries, the core component of electric models, Honda has been working with battery manufacturers to establish specifications suited to the characteristics of motorcycles and ensure stable procurement," the company says.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), the Indian two-wheeler arm of Honda Motor Co, pipped its erstwhile partner Hero MotoCorp to emerge as India’s biggest two-wheeler maker by volume in September 2024.

Honda’s scooter sales grew 24% in 2023-24, higher than motorcycle sales which rose 13%. On average, two-wheeler sales grew 16% last fiscal. Urban growth was faster than rural growth.

HMSI’s current capacity is 62 lakh units annually. The automaker currently has nine motorcycles and five scooter models in its portfolio. Honda expects one-third of its sales to come from EVs by 2030.