A Pulsating Race

With the largest number of models and variants in the fast growing motorcycle segment, Bajaj Auto is on a growth trajectory

After facing the investor ire at losing its pole position for the first time in 45 years to rival Hero Honda, the Rs 3,690 crore Bajaj Auto seems to be making an unforgiving come back. It seems all set to take the battle right back to the Hero Honda stable.

The spate of new launches, only reflects its aggression. Thanks to these positive initiatives, the scrip has regained much of its lost ground. After hitting the low in May this year, it has gained 36 per cent as the share trades at Rs 282 now.

Things seem to be looking up for Bajaj this fiscal. With a dominant market share of 51 per cent, numero uno Hero Honda has grown 32 per cent year-to-date (YTD), while Bajaj Auto has been an outperformer with a growth rate of 38 per cent, albeit with a lower market share of 24 per cent. Even now, Hero Honda sells over twice as much as Bajaj in terms of motorcycle volumes.

Divide and rule

The motorcycle market has been dominated by Hero Honda