Hero MotoCorp starts ops in Africa, LatAm

New Delhi: The country’s largest two-wheeler maker, Hero MotoCorp, on Monday said it had commenced operations in Africa, Latin and Central America.

Pawan Munjal, managing director & chief executive officer, Hero MotoCorp, said: “We have started despatches to our new international markets in Central and Latin America and Africa. Our first consignments of two-wheelers have already been shipped to Peru in Latin America, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in Central America and to Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in Africa.”

The company is set to despatch the first lot of two-wheelers to Kenya later this month.

It has already appointed new distributors and channel partners in these markets, where retail sales of the Hero two-wheelers is likely to commence in the first quarter of this financial year. Hero motorcycles to be sold in these markets include a mix of models from the 100cc and 125cc range.

Hero MotoCorp has earmarked Rs 1100 crore as capital expenditure for the current financial year. It includes an investment of about Rs 600 crore on the company’s upcoming fourth plant and global parts centre at Neemrana, and Rs 100-150 crore on a state-of-the-art integrated R&D centre at Kukas (near Jaipur in Rajasthan).

These initiatives are in line with Hero MotoCorp’s vision of reaching a total of 10-million unit volumes in a few years’ time, and garnering a million units — 10 per cent of that — from international business. The company currently registers around 2.5 per cent of its volumes from sales in overseas markets.

To meet this objective, the company has already short-listed as many as 30 countries across Latin America, Central America, Africa and South East Asia.

Colombia is the only country in Latin America where Hero MotoCorp currently exports to. The other international markets where Hero two-wheelers are sold include Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Hero MotoCorp to make its own engines, teams up with engine developer AVL

EW DELHI: Fixing its technology deficit after separating from Japanese partner Honda, BM Munjal-owned Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler maker by volumes, is building in-house capabilities to make its own engines by teaming up with the world's largest privately-owned engine developer, AVL of Austria.

Close on the heels of forging a "strategic partnership" with Erik Buel Racing (EBR) of the US for high-end technology, Hero MotoCorp has now roped in AVL to build its "internal capabilities" for new engine development.

"We have tied up with AVL to develop our in-house capabilities in engine technologies. A team from our R&D division is already in Austria. Our team is also working in close coordination with AVL ITC ( India Technical Centre) based in Gurgaon. The team is working on a few options across motorcycles and scooters," Pawan Munjal, MD & CEO Hero MotoCorp, told ET.

Its technology tie-up with Austria-based AVL will allow Hero MotoCorp to develop technology for its bread-and-butter 100cc bikes such as Splendor and Passion.

Looking beyond the Conventional

The tie-up will also help it take the 150cc CBZ and Hunk to the next level to meet intensified competition from rivals such as Honda and Bajaj Auto in this high-margin segment.

Also, this new in-house capability would allow Hero to develop engines independently of its estranged partner Honda Motor Company, which currently breeds its entire lineup of bikes and scooters that catapulted it to become the world's largest two-wheeler maker by sales. The erstwhile partners now compete in the 11-million-strong Indian two-wheeler market.

"We would be developing engines of all sizes to make new products and also refurbish the existing product lines," Munjal added, specifying that the arrangement with AVL would go beyond making the current portfolio of 100-230cc engines.

Hero MotoCorp sales up 27.4 per cent in November

NEW DELHI: Two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp Thursday reported a sales growth of 27.4 per cent in November which stood at 536,772 units as against 421,366 units sold in the like period of 2010.

"Our sales continue to set new benchmarks in the industry. We have been maintaining five-lakh-plus sales since August 2011 when we had launched our new brand identity," Anil Dua, senior vice-president for marketing and sales, Hero MotoCorp said in a statement.

According to Dua, the 27 per cent increase in sales for the month under-review assumes more significance as it was achieved post-festive period.

"This 27 per cent growth in the post-festive month of November is significant as it comes after our record retail sales in the month of October," Dua said.

The company's cumulative sales for the period April-November grew by 19.6 per cent at 41,22,902 units from 34,46,602 units sold in the corresponding period of last year.

The company added that it will continue its strategy of new product offerings and network expansion.

"We plan to continue with our strategy of regular new launches, continuous network expansion and focused communication," Dua said.

Hero MotoCorp aims export of 10 lakh units in 5-6 yrs

NEW DELHI: Free from export restrictions imposed by its ex-promoter Honda, India's largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp today said it aims to sell 10 lakh units in the overseas markets in the next 5-6 years. The company, earlier known as Hero Honda, has already shortlisted some players to expand its export markets in a big way in the future. On the domestic front, the company is looking to invest about Rs 1,000 crore to set up two new facilities besides expanding the output of three existing plants. Addressing analysts in a conference call, Hero MotoCorp Senior Vice President (Marketing and Sales) Anil Dua said: "We are looking at an exponential increase in export numbers ... In 5-6 years of time, we aim to sell a million bikes (every year) in international markets, which will be 10 per cent of our total business." Currently, exports contribute less than 2 per cent of total sales, he added. The company had sold a total of 54,02,444 units during 2010-11 financial year. "We have been approached by several partners for distribution and assembly. We have already shortlisted some partners," Dua said without giving further details. The company is looking at exporting its products to Latin America, Africa and South East Asian nations, he added. Asked about investment that Hero MotoCorp might put into develop its export bases, Dua said the firm will invest in future, but now it will not financially support its channel partners. On the plans for setting up of two new factories and expanding the existing capacities, Hero MotoCorp Chief Financial Officer Ravi Sud said : "When we talk of capacity, we talk in slabs of 7,50,000 units. So, 1.5 million units capacity plants. In a phased manner, it will cost close to around Rs 1,000 crore."