Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd: A New Chapter in Honda History

Honda have been present in India since the 1980s with different Indian partners. The company truly entered India in 1999, when they began with a small team of 22 executives, called the ‘Dream Team’. It was this team that was in charge of writing the first chapter for Honda in India. They had the daunting task of shaping the business structure of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (Honda 2Wheelers India) that would one day bring to fruition their dream of becoming number one in the country. While the ‘Dream Team’ was busy crunching numbers and drawing up plans, the construction of Honda 2Wheelers India’s first manufacturing plant in India had already commenced in Manesar, Haryana.

Initially, the company could not sell motorcycle because of an existing pact with their former partners. This was a time of great dilemma. However, unfazed by this roadblock, Honda 2Wheelers India moved forward and took on the biggest challenge they could find: reviving a dying segment. Their first product offering for India was the Activa variomatic scooter, a product that took off like a rocket and single-handedly revived the scooter segment. It was a bold and daring move on Honda’s part, which, in truth, happened to be just the right one. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The challenge was not over yet, though, for Honda were still to provide the same level of service and after-sales that they were known the world over. Honda’s ambition to establish themselves pan-India was a major one and they were aware that it would not happen overnight. Therefore, the company decided to enter key scooter markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru first. Honda were also the first company in India to offer the ‘4S’ experience — Sales, Service, Spares, and Safe riding — which further strengthened their position in India.

A core team of dealers, all young and energetic, was established and it would be these dealers who would take the brand to the customers in ways that aligned with Honda’s “Power of Dreams” philosophy. Soon, these dealers did wonders for the company with just one product on offer and, based on this success, Honda 2Wheelers India started expanding rapidly. The company has not stopped doing so since.