Panaji
Triumph Motorcycles set the motorcycling world on fire in India, when it launched full range of bikes in the country two years ago. But, the brand doesn’t have a showroom in Goa as yet; as a result, the bike-lovers in the state have to buy their Triumph bike either from Mumbai, Pune or Bangalore. The Goan Everyday speaks to Vimal Sumbly, managing director, Triumph Motorcycles India to know his plans for Goa and pan-India
The Goan: When and where will Triumph be launching a showroom in Goa?
Vimal Sumbly: Our target is to develop a dealership in Goa by October-end this year. We have realised that Goa is fast becoming a Tier-2 market for motorcycles. People (in Goa) are passionate about bikes, they want to buy bigger bikes and want to indulge in luxury. When it comes to a location for the first showroom in the state, what matters is the proximity to the customer. Typically, Panaji and North Goa is where we are hoping to start a dealership, because of high visibility and accessibility.
TG: Triumph has sold 2,500 bikes since its launch in India two years ago. Are you satisfied with the same?
VS: Yes. In two years, we have sold 2,500 bikes - the fastest rate any premium motorcycling brand has sold in India. And, we think the potential is immense. In FY07-08, only 400 bikes with an engine power of 500cc or more were sold in India and this number jumped to 10,000 by last year. My estimate is, this number will reach 20,000 by year 2020. And, we want to be a dominant player in premium and luxury market category.
TG: Could you talk about your product range in India?
VS: The crucial difference between us and our competitors is that we launched the full range of Triumph Motorcycles from day one in India, which shows our commitment to this market. We have 14 models in five categories. So, we have bikes like Bonneville Street Twin, Bonneville T 120 in classics category, Rocket III and Thunderbird in cruisers category, Daytona in roadsters & supersports category and then the Tiger range in adventure category. We are the only brand in the country that is equipped with anti-lock-braking-system (ABS) in our bikes.
TG: We even heard that Triumph is going to showcase some of its bikes here in Goa...
VS: Yes, we will be showcasing (Thursday evening) in Goa the first new Bonneville Street Twin, Bonneville T 120 and Thruxton R bikes.
