Hero MotoCorp sets up separate unit to sell Harley motorcycles

India's Hero MotoCorp has set up a separate business unit to sell Harley-Davidson vehicles in India, Hero said on Wednesday, months after the U.S. company ended most of its operations in the world's largest motorcycle market.

Hero has added 11 Harley-Davidson dealers in India and begun wholesale dispatches of Harley products to dealers from Jan. 18, the company said in a statement to Indian stock exchanges.

Milwaukee-based Harley ended its sales and manufacturing operations in India in September after struggling for a decade to gain a foothold.

A month later it entered a distribution deal with Hero, the world's largest producer of motorcycles and scooters. Hero will also develop motorcycles to be sold under the Harley-Davidson brand as part of the deal.

Hero on Wednesday also named Ravi Avalur, head of strategy and international business at engine components producer Cooper, as the head of its Harley business. He had previously headed the Indian unit of Italian motorcycle brand Ducati.