Unlike competition we plan to bring in a wide range of products in every se

Earlier last month bike maker Harley Davidson organised a Boot Camp for enthusiasts bound by a passion for its diverse range of motorcycles. Present at the occasion, Managing Director – India, Anoop Prakash confirmed the company’s intention to enter
the Indian market with a product blitzkrieg.

Why India, and why now?

We’ve been looking at the Indian market for the last five years but there was no clarity on the policy and duty structure for higher-volume bikes. I think 2007 was a turning point, when we looked inwards and changed the way we deal with the market. In the mean time, we could also figure out a way to address the non-tariff trade barriers. With a deliberate intention to go global, we reached out to emerging markets like Latin America and Asia Pacific over the last years, and now India. Also, for the first time in our history, we are coming in as a subsidiary right from the beginning, much unlike a network of private importers.

Tell us more about the restructuring that HD has been through over the last few years.

Probably the biggest thing you heard is that we have decided to focus on the HD business, as that’s our core business. So the core brand is our only focus now. Earlier, we were also into the Buell and MV Agusta business and we’ve now divested from it. In that, we’ll gradually wind down our Buell business and offer only customer support to our existing Buell customers, while there would be no more of those bikes built on our lines. Right now, our decision going forward is to stick to the HD brand and its customers, since we have the biggest impact in the cruising and touring department.

What are your key takeaways from the ups and downs that the American market went through?

I think the economic situation has been challenging for everybody. But the biggest thing we learnt is that every dollar invested in HD has the potential to generate much better returns for its several thousands of employees, dealer across 70 countries and other shareholders. It is likely to offer more value to our million and a half customers across the globe than what we could with our engagements at Buell or Agusta. So, the divestment from non-core business is in line with these inferences.

Typically, what are the challenges that emerging markets like India offer?

Some of the challenges that emerging markets present are similar in scope and design to developed markets. First, it’s always about customers and in that sense we are quite lucky as some of our products, our only brand ambassadors, are already present in the some of the markets. It’s quite a challenge to find what they really like. At times regulatory issues come in our way, emissions and homologations. But we’ve done this before so we have a best practices code for such hurdles.

So what’s your first assignment in the Indian context?

Even though India and China are biggest market for motorcycles, the culture of riding bikes for enjoyment is what we hope to create and nurture. We have thousands of accessories to offer a comprehensive experience. Global sales, outside of America contribute over 30 percent to our sales; we hope to grow that substantially in years to come. There is also an ongoing discussion with several partners for sourcing components. I am not on the materials side, and I wouldn’t know much about that. We plan to bring in the entire range at once unlike competition, which is present with a bike or