from https://www.rushlane.com
from https://motorcycles.einnews.com
from https://www.business-standard.com
from https://www.thehindu.com
DELHI, India, Oct. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Embarking on a new journey together, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (“Harley-Davidson”), the legendary motorcycle manufacturer and Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest maker of motorcycles and scooters in terms of unit volumes, today announced that the two will ride together in India.
Per a distribution agreement, Hero MotoCorp will sell and service Harley-Davidson motorcycles and sell Parts & Accessories and General Merchandise riding gear and apparel through a network of brand-exclusive Harley-Davidson dealers and Hero MotorCorp’s existing dealership network in India.
As part of a Licensing agreement, Hero MotoCorp will develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand name.
These actions are aligned with Harley-Davidson’s business overhaul, The Rewire, and the company’s announcement in September to change its business model in India.
This arrangement is mutually beneficial for both companies and riders in India, as it brings together the iconic Harley-Davidson brand with the strong distribution network and customer service of Hero MotoCorp.
About Hero MotoCorp Ltd.
The New Delhi (India) headquartered Hero MotoCorp Ltd. is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, in terms of unit volumes sold by a single company in a year — the coveted position it has held for the past 19 consecutive years. The Company has sold over 95 million motorcycles and scooters in cumulative sales since inception. Hero MotoCorp currently sells its products in more than 40 countries across Asia, Africa, Middle East, and South and Central America. Hero MotoCorp has eight state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, including six in India, and one each in Colombia and Bangladesh. Hero MotoCorp has two world-class, state-of-the-art R&D facilities — the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, and Hero Tech Centre Germany GmBH. Hero MotoCorp is one of the largest corporate promoters of multiple disciplines of sports, including, Golf, Football, Field Hockey, Cricket and Motorsports. Fifteen-time major winner Tiger Woods is Hero’s Global Corporate Partner.
For more information, please visit:
www.heromotocorp.com | FB: /HeroMotoCorpIndia | Twitter: @HeroMotoCorp
Harley Davidson withdrew its official presence in India last month only to kickstart an all-new innings, this time in partnership with Hero Motocorp. News about the American cruiser specialist scouting for a suitable partner in India has been circulating for a while now with Hero Motocorp and Classic Legends (Jawa’s parent company) touted as front runners. Now, it is official.
Harley Davidson partners with Hero MotoCorp
Harley Davidson has announced that it has entered into distribution and licensing agreement with Hero MotoCorp as a part of its Rewire strategy. As a part of the distribution agreement, Hero MotoCorp will be responsible for selling and service Harley Davidson motorcycles through the American marque’s existing network of outlets.
Hero’s well established dealership network would also be used to expand Harley’s market coverage. In addition to motorcycles, the Indian partner will also take care of retailing HD parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gears and apparels.
Hero to develop Harley motorcycles
The most interesting aspect of the partnership is the licensing agreement according to which Hero MotoCorp will develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley Davidson brand name. No further details about this arrangement have been revealed as of now.
The Harley Davidson – Hero MotoCorp partnership is a great news for the Indian motorcycle enthusiasts. Owners of existing Harley Davidson motorcycles will be able to get service as well as spares at Harley Davidson dealerships as well as at Hero dealerships.
Hero MotoCorp to develop, sell Harley-Davidson bikes for India market
The country’s largest two wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp and Harley-Davidson on Tuesday announced a wide ranging partnership for the Indian market.
The country’s largest two wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp and Harley-Davidson on Tuesday announced a wide ranging partnership for the Indian market, days after the US cult bike manufacturer announced its exit from the country.
As part of the deal, Hero MotoCorp will develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand name in the country. Besides, it will take care of service and parts requirements for the Harley bikes. Further, Hero MotoCorp would sell Harley accessories and general merchandise, riding gear and apparel through a network of brand-exclusive Harley-Davidson dealers and its existing sales network in the country, the companies said in a joint statement.
“These actions are aligned with Harley-Davidson’s business overhaul, The Rewire, and the company’s announcement in September to change its business model in India,” it added.
This arrangement is mutually beneficial for both companies and riders in India, as it brings together the iconic Harley-Davidson brand with the strong distribution network and customer service of Hero MotoCorp, it added.
In September, Harley-Davidson had announced discontinuation of sales and manufacturing operations in India, a decade after it started selling its premium bikes in the country.
As part of the development, the company had announced plans to close its manufacturing facility in Bawal (Haryana) and significantly reduce the size of its sales office in Gurugram.
The exit from India is part of the company’s global restructuring activities.
In the second quarter of 2020, Harley-Davidson had initiated restructuring activities like workforce reduction and the termination of certain contracts that would result in the elimination of approximately 700 positions globally, including the termination of approximately 500 employees.
The Milwaukee-based company refers to restructuring actions related to employees and other services as ‘The Rewire’.
From its entry to exit, Harley-Davidson’s journey in the country witnessed governments of India and the US using it as a bargaining chip.
In April 2007, the then Indian government had relaxed emission and testing norms, paving the way for import of Harley Davidson bikes to India, in return for allowing mango exports from the country to the US. The import relaxation was restricted to the shipments of motorcycles up to 800 cc engine capacity or above subject to compliance to Euro III emission norms.
Later in 2009, the company announced the establishment of its operations in India, followed by starting of sales of its bikes a year later. Then the company set up its completely knocked down assembly plant in Haryana and started rolling out assembled bikes from the unit in the early part of 2011.
The company’s assembly plant at Bawal in Haryana was its second facility outside of the US after Brazil, and it had planned to use the unit to export to Europe and South-East Asian markets.
In the recent past, US President Donald Trump criticised India’s high import tariff on the iconic Harley Davidson motorcycles as “unacceptable” as the two countries negotiated for an elusive trade deal.
Hero MotoCorp and Harley Davidson to partner for Indian market
Hero MotoCorp on Tuesday said that it has entered into a distribution and licensing agreement with American motorcycle maker Harley Davidson to develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley Davidson brand name.
The announcement comes almost a month after Harley-Davidson Inc. announced that it will discontinue sales and manufacturing operations in India as part of a global strategic restructuring plan ‘The Rewire’.
“As per a distribution agreement, Hero MotoCorp will sell and service Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and sell parts & accessories and general merchandise riding gear and apparel through a network of brand-exclusive Harley-Davidson dealers and Hero’s existing dealership network in India,” Hero MotoCorp said in a statement.
It added that as part of a licensing agreement, Hero MotoCorp will develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand name.
“This arrangement is mutually beneficial for both companies and riders in India, as it brings together the iconic Harley-Davidson brand with the strong distribution network and customer service of Hero MotoCorp,” it added.
