Norton bikes would make their own space, says CEO Stuart Garner

Interview with Norton CEO Stuart Garner

Norton, the 116-year-old British motorcycle brand, has decided to enter the country riding on a partnership with the Kinetic group. The tie-up would help the firm assemble and market motorcycles here and in other Asian nations. Production would begin from the end of the next year. The firms would initially import 30 units of Commando and Dominator to India over the next three months. In an interview with Ajay Modi, Norton’s Chief Executive Officer and owner Stuart Garner says the brand is not here to attack incumbents and will carve out a niche for itself. Edited excerpts:  

Norton’s India entry happens after most global brands entered. What kept you waiting?

We had been developing dealer network in Europe, US and Japan, and we felt it was the right time to look at Asia, particularly India. In the past two years, we had four offers from Indian firms who wanted to bring Norton here. But we waited for the right partner. 

What kind of localisation do you aim for the India-made products?

We will look at how much we take from Norton factory to ensure that the bike does not suffer from quality (issues). It is very competitive here and we need to offer a competitive price. We have to find a balance between exclusivity and quality of components, and the hand-built element against not making it too localised and ruin the spirit of the bikes. There is a nice open space for us with the premium nature of (our) motorcycles. 

How do you wish to position Norton?

Norton is looking forward to a strong future with 7-8 models. We will be working very closely with Kinetic to get those models here. We don’t want to be cheap and small capacity. We want a nice premium position, but there is no point in charging so much money that nobody buys it. In the UK or Europe, the hand-built bike has a premium, which may not be the case here. We are trying to get a blend of parts from the UK and local components. 

How do you see the competition from peers in India? 

Every two-wheeler enthusiast is our potential customer. The bike is very individual and, therefore, no brand is our direct competitor. But we could lose sales to anybody — a Harley, a Triumph or a Ducati. We have to work hard to make our product a success. We are not here to attack a particular player. We have our own proposition that will make its space. A Norton is something that people would aspire to have within their collection of bikes. 

Most multinational automobile firms find it difficult to have a sustainable, profitable business in India. How do you wish to play here?

If it was easy, everybody would have a successful business. I can’t tell you any magic formula as we need to navigate around the problems. We have seen brands come to India, set up their own venture and fail. We have seen joint ventures that suited one of the partners and it led to fights. We understand motorcycles and we have all ingredients to be successful.