Bajaj dealers to Discover 'wow' bike in Zurich

Four hundred Bajaj Auto dealers are set to leave for Zurich, where they will be shown Discover, a motorcycle the company feels will put its fortunes on top gear.

This is the first time an automobile company is showcasing a new product to its dealers at a foreign location, though overseas dealers meetings, especially in picturesque Switzerland, are now commonplace.

The company brass, including the Bajaj family led by Chairman Rahul Bajaj, will be there at Zurich to host the dealers. Senior Bajaj Auto executives, including vice president (business development and marketing) R L Ravichandran, have already reached Zurich to do the ground preparation for the event.

"The purpose of the exercise is to strengthen the relationship with the dealers," sources close to the company said, adding: "Apart from unveiling the motorcycle, the idea is to also listen to dealers on what they have to say. All of them have different aspirations. India is like many countries within a country."

In the two-wheeler industry, the Munjals of Hero Honda are known to be the best when it comes to managing relationships with dealers.

Bajaj Auto's strategy to take the same path is easy to understand. The company is betting heavily on Discover to gain marketshare in the executive segment of the motorcycle market.

This segment is the largest of the motorcycle market with sales of over two million last year. Though Bajaj Auto has two offerings in the executive segment, Calibre 115 and Wind 125, its maketshare has remained small -- just 8-10 per cent.

"We feel Discover has tremendous potential to shift the market, like Pulsar. Discover will offer the style of the Pulsar, the breezy ride comfort of Wind with fuel efficiency, all at a price lower than Pulsar," Ravichandran said, adding: "It is a wow product to be launched at a wow location."

Scheduled for a national launch, Discover has been developed totally in-house by Bajaj Auto.