Bajaj Slips

So, my latest post comes after a long gap...... a long long gap!! New responsibilities... new situations and new challenges.... that's how I would sum it!!

So, finally got a chance to go through the websites of the major Indian players and found that only Bajaj has published it's November figures and all the rest have data up till the quarter ending September 2008. But the figures definitely don't look good for Bajaj. The sales figures have definitely slipped for Bajaj.

Bajaj is explaining this slip by wrapping the sales figures in Global Recession, but I feel it's more that it's meeting the eyes. Bajaj has not only slipped in sales figures but it's also slipping in popularity. After Pulsar Mania, Bajaj has really gone into some kind of a shell. Only two releases after Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi, in July 2007 - new revamped Bajaj Discover 130 DTSi and Bajaj Platina 125 DTS-Si. Though these products gave it's existing version a fresh look and feel, but these releases were not backed up by a strong publicity and will to connect with the public acceptance. Apart from these two, the companie's activity has remained ice cold!! Nothing in the scene, as was shown in the Auto Expo 2008. Neither the much awaited Bajaj XCD Sprint and Kawasaki Ninja 250 nor the over hyped bigger Pulsar. It's competitors on the other hand have used this oppertunity to come back real hard - Yamaha's R15 and FZ 16, TVS's Apache RTR-Fi, Honda's CBF Stunner (yes it did pick up mass attention and I can't understand how!!). Bajaj has literally fed it's competitors with it's over stretched silence. Though, as per the November Sales Report, the company is eyeing to release a new bike every 6 months, starting January 2009.

In order to introduce the new Bajaj Platina, Bajaj went for the DTSi club TVC but I felt it's an utter crap and says nothing about the silent strong features of the new bike. Other competitors on the other hand are trying to reach out more to the masses by holding different shows and events, for example as done by TVS and Yamaha India (though the product line involved in these shows and event were more on the performance lines). But still if we look at Yamaha India, it's still trying to back it's Gladiator product line in a very interesting and engulfing manner.

Bajaj is solely relying on it's dealership network to promote its product line and I think with the market becoming more and more stiff with time, specially in terms of availability of money, customer expectations and availability of more and more futuristic technologies, I guess Bajaj is need of another Pulsarian break-through else, the water is becoming very murky for the company and the ship which, came out of the storm riding on Pulsar, might again take a U turn back to the storm because the Pulsars are now being pushed to the edge and to the point of fall off!!

Figure Source - Bajaj Sales Nov, 08