American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson just couldn’t crack the world’s largest two-wheeler market
When Harley-Davidson arrived in India just about a decade ago, there was much fanfare surrounding the iconic American motorcycle manufacturer. After all, the “Hog,” as the motorcycle is fondly referred to, was a symbol of Americana. But now the company is thinking of shutting down its assembly operations in Haryana and reducing its sales here.
What makes this even more peculiar is that US President Donald Trump made import tariffs on Harley-Davidson his signature agenda item when it came to trade talks with India. While he had a point when it came to the ridiculous curbs India imposes on imported cars and motorcycles, Harley-Davidson had established an assembly plant just to work its way around the worst of tariffs. Though not affordable for the masses, relatively speaking, Harley was not very expensive for a rich enthusiast. Very recently, the firm got an effective endorsement from none other than the Chief Justice of India when he was seen astride one of the famous Hogs in Nagpur. So why with such popularity among enthusiasts — some of whom count themselves as among the most influential people in this country — did the manufacturer feel the need to shut shop? Some might find it convenient to blame the Government, thanks to making life difficult for foreign investors, and tepid economic growth making for low demand for expensive products such as Harleys. But while both are certainly causative factors, the main reason is a bit more mundane. Harley just did not appeal even to the more enthusiastic Indian motorist. It has no mid-range products, quite unlike rivals Triumph and BMW. In fact, Harley’s entry into the Indian market is seen by some as having inspired Indian manufacturer Royal Enfield to up its game and produce new twin-cylinder engine variants that have won awards across the world. This actually helped the Indian manufacturer steal Harley’s thunder in many global markets. Indian consumers might have found the American motorcycle iconic but not it did not suit their desires and their conditions. Other foreign manufacturers have seen success in India, and it is churlish of some to blame anything, but Harley failed us.
