Reference Auto

With Diwali just a couple of weeks away, Bajaj Auto seems to be cashing in on the Hindutva sentiment to rev up sales of its new vibrant orange metallic Pulsar, one of its premier brands.

The models that will be available in the new colour are the Pulsar 220F DTSi, the 220 DTSI and the Pulsar 180 DTSi. Bajaj has priced the new range between Rs 71,430 and Rs 82,400.

With the new and vibrant colour, Bajaj is eyeing the Indian youth in a big way, especially as its arch rival Hero Honda tries to wean away motorcycle buffs with a litany of launches ahead of the festive season. The orange metallic Pulsar also comes with a two-tone paint job with black centre panels and the black footpeg stays.

Previously, the Pulsar was available in only four colours - silver, black, red and blue. This new addition is to give Bajaj’s sales a fresh push.

Bajaj Auto president (motorcycle business) S Sridhar said, “Pulsar has proven its performance both on the road and on the sales charts. It is one of the leading sports machines in India with a consistent 50% market share, beating its Indian and Japanese competitors by a wide margin. To add more zest to the Pulsar, we have introduced a new two-tone orange colour that is definitely going to make heads turn. The colour is specifically for the young Pulsar lovers and shows a good spectrum from a fresh yellowish orange in the sunlight to a deep, reddish orange in the shade, adding a fresh new perspective to the bike.”

Pulsar has always been driving Bajaj’s sales. With an unparalleled 50 per cent share among sports motorcycles in the second quarter of the current financial year, Pulsar has consistently outdone the segment, making it the largest brand so far.

Pulsar’s domestic sales in quarter stood at 67,468, a surge of nearly 56 per cent over the same period in the previous year. This growth figure is highly commendable, taking into account that the sports segment has grown 32 per cent and the industry 21 per cent during the same period.

Bajaj Auto posted an almost 70% surge in the second quarter net profit at Rs 682 crore against Rs 403 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal. Bajaj’s Pulsar and Discover account for 80% of its domestic sales and the new colour could add some vibrancy in the short term though.

Bajaj’s rival Hero Honda is on the verge of a split and this could mean advantage Bajaj as Hero Honda (or the new company) will have to shore up its network agressively to keep pace with Bajaj. In October, Bajaj opened its second plant at Pantnagar, which will accelerate its manufacturing capacity by 1.5 million motorcycles a year by the end of 2010-11, helping the company meet its additional demand.

So, Bajaj could use these to its advantage to rev up sales and profit. But it will also have to come up with more variants of its top brands Pulsar and Discover to match market leader Hero Honda’s slew of offerings and only then can Bajaj hope to see itself on top of the pecking order.