With the tagline, “The World’s Favourite Indian”, Bajaj Auto is embarking on a rebranding exercise to establish itself as a global motorcycle and scooter brand. Currently third largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, Bajaj currently sells 15 million motorcycles in over 70 countries.
Bajaj Auto’s foreign sales comprise 40% of its revenue and this earned it some USD 13 billion (RM53.77 billion) in foreign earnings over the last 10 years. The rebranding exercise will see the removal of the Bajaj name which has been used for the last fifty years and replaced with Pulsar and Discover with the project driven by Rajiv Bajaj, Bajaj Auto managing director, said a drypen.in report.
“Actually I don’t want that (Bajaj) name. We have already started the process so today on a Pulsar, the Bajaj name is seen only on the engine. The same is the case with Discover. Our three-wheeler has Bajaj in small font while the initial ‘RE’ is in much bigger font. One day, We will drop the Bajaj name from there also completely,” said Bajaj Auto chairman Rahul Bajaj.
In India, the motor manufacturing sector has traditionally carried the family name on products, examples being Tata and Mahindra. This bold move by Bajaj is a first for an Indian auto manufacturer but Bajaj feels that the company’s products and brand names have enough recognition in their own stead without the need for an umbrella brand.
The rebranding is expected to cost Bajaj and its 600 dealers and 1,100 service centres in India some 21 crore rupees (RM12.1 million). It is rumoured Bajaj business rival Hero Honda under the Munjal Group, which recently saw Honda exiting as a manufacturing partner, will be following the same path, pushing forward the Hero brand.
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Wow, 15 million bikes worldwide. this is what you call a hardworking company. Pity we sold of MV Agusta for 1 Euro despite buying it for few hundred million Euro
Otherwise we also can compete with Bajaj
Rename it as Kesatria Bajaj Hitam. Sure winner in ASEAN countries!
The real game changing rebranding exercise, habisla p1
Thinking Global.
Getting rid of the kampung hero complex.
Good for them
India and China car and bike industry light years away. Malaysia, MAI, MITI and MARii need to send rombongan sambil belajar to China and India to learn how to do bike and car business well.
Name has nothing to do with being global.
Look at Honda, look at Kawasaki, look at Samsung, look at Huawei. All uses their own local asian names and can be successful globally.