Harley Davidson has successfully established itself in India by creating an affordable model and leveraging local manufacturing, leading to significant growth in revenue and sales. The company's strategy included launching multiple models simultaneously, building a strong dealer network, and engaging the biking community through events like 'rock riders' and the Harley Owners Group. As a result, Harley has carved out a niche in the Indian motorcycle market, transitioning a traditionally expensive brand into a more accessible option for younger and aspiring bikers.

1. It was once an icon of aspiration
but Harley Davidson with its first
ever affordable model has seen its
tribe increase in India

2. Harley Davidson-A brief Profile
-Harley Davidson was about American iron that
evolved into a capable war machine.
-Then came Hells Angels & the cult following
-This was followed by the company re-
inventing itself by selling time-warped cruisers
with reliable Mechanicals. The end result is the
iconic Harley Davidson today
Harley Davidson today is a
112-Year-Old brand that
has now entered 93 Nations
Harley Davidson Mantra-
We made the experience
accessible to anyone who
wanted to get a taste of the
Harley Davidson
Anoop Prakash (MD,
Harley-Davidson India)

3. India & Harley Davidson
For Harley Davidson, it was not simple for creating a segment in India(especially in this sovereign,
socialist, secular, democratic republic called India).Be it Cola or Cornflakes, cars or mutual funds India
has not been an easy market for global majors to crack but Harley has defined that trend. In about 5 years
H-D has managed to grow rapidly in India with revenue soaring over Rs.200 Crores & losses
declining quickly. In FY 14 it clocked Rs.212 Crores in revenue & losses went down from Rs.13.4
Crores to Rs.3.5 Crores. In FY 15sales volume for H-D was 4641 compared to 1927 in FY 14
When the Govt of USA & India
decided to trade H-D for
Alphonso mangoes in 2009 they
were probably presenting a huge
challenge to the cult-driven
company.
India was the largest motor-cycle
market in the world with 10.5 Mn
bikes sold in 2010(up to 16 Mn in
FY 15) but barring the few
imported superbikes the premium
bike segment was practically non-
existent in India & there came the
opportunity
Harley started with a big-bang by
launching 10 Models to begin
with rather than being stingy or
bringing just 1 or 2 models. It
invested in a completely knocked
down facility(CKD) in 2011 that
began with the assembly of its
sportster line followed by the
Dyna line in 2012 & Softail in
2013.The more important
programme by H-D was its
dedicated dealership programme
which started off with having the
right people at right place.
When we entered India in
2010 there was really no
leisure motor-cycling market
to be found in the premium
space. We established the
segment says Anoop Prakash,
MD(H-D)sitting in his corner
office on the ground floor of
the Time Tower in Gurgaon
where H-D is headquartered

4. Harley’s strategy in India
Dealer Network
Firstly H-D spent a lot
of time on the dealer
network making sure
they were right partners
Target for Biking
enthusiasts
H-D roped in biking
enthusiasts who
understood the brand &
were convinced that they
needed to be in high-
street locations
Boot Camps
H-D first boot camp kick-started in
2010.The boot camps organized
across Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,
Bangalore & Chandigarh gave
people the whole experience
particular the feeling of brotherhood
of the brand showcasing 12 models
across the 5 families Harley had on
offer
Rock Riders
If the boot camps
triggered the rush, you had
to follow that up with an
event where people could
let their hair down & cool
off. Music & Harley go
back a long way. So,H-D
came up with a concept of
‘Rock Riders’Test Ride
H-D made sure that the
experience was accessible to
anyone who wanted to come in
& get a taste of the Harley
freedom.(It is quite normal for
companies to offer test rides
when they sell you cars/bikes
but motoring enthusiasts will
tell you how interesting it is to
test ride a luxury automobile)
Rock Riders had custom bikes
to ogle at, rock music to let
your hair down & live
barbeque counters food
connoisseurs.
The test ride would follow a
different format from the usual drill
of riding the bike .Here you ride in
groups with a proper lead &
another 5 bikes in between so that
as a rider you get the whole feeling
of riding together. When you ride a
Harley you don’t usually ride alone
you ride with your buddies.

5. • Rock Riders started in
Delhi & then moved
about 5 cities doing
smaller gigs before
eventually evolving into
a bigger format.
• Season 5 of Harley
Rock Riders happened
in Mumbai last year &
before that Bengaluru
hosted some 10 bands
as part of the event
H-D
• At a fundamental
level, H-D support
independent rock
bands & give them a
platform where they
can showcase their
talent & bring music
& motor-cycle lovers
together to celebrate
H-D
• Alongside in the year
2012 Harley also
sponsored the India
Bike Week here bikers
from across the country
rode to Goa for a week-
long festival. That year
saw some 700 members
of the “famed Harley
Owners
Group(popularly known
as HOG)riding to Goa
H-D
ROCK RIDERS FUNDA

6. The Harley Owners Group(HOG) itself is a very important piece of the Harley success
story.HOG was created in the US in 1983 to build a strong connect between the company,
dealers & customers and bring together Harley Owners wherever they are. With a million
members across the world the HOG through its community activities perpetuates the cult
& maintains Brand Loyalty.
The HOG community-
building has paid off.
Skeptics who said Harley
may not take-off in this
country because it was
too expensive or that
pathole-ridden roads
with cows coming in the
way of your cruise will
be a stumbling block
were proven wrong
within the first 3 years
HOG’ impact on
H-D was so hard
that by 2013,it
had already sold
some 1,270 bikes
with sales of
Rs.100 Crores
In India the 17 Chapters of the HOG are led by an equal number of dealers
.Every Chapter has its own Directors & Officers & plan its own activities. For
Ex: The Delhi Chapter(called the captive chapter)has bout 5 HOG Officers.
Life Membership-Rs.70,000
Associate Memmbrship-Rs.3,500(1 Year) or Rs.35,000(For Life)
The chief takeaway from this membership is the 5 main
events that H-D organizes ;
1.National Rally(in addition to India Bike Week)
2.4 Zonal rallies
You can participate & avail discounts in terms of logistics
& accommodation
Today, H-D has a whole
bunch of Corporate Honchos
as HOG members .A good
example is Sanjeev Mohanty
(MD, Benetton-South Asia)
Mohanty’s most memorable
ride was the National HOG
Ride from Delhi to Goa in
Jan 2014.More than 1,000
Harley riders from across the
country embarked on a 4 day
journey across 2,300 Kms

9. How Harley climbed the ladder to success in India
(Introduction of H-D Street)
H-D ‘s 883 cc Bike
Harley was operating in a market where 90% of the motor-cycles on offer had a displacement of 100cc.The smallest
engine from the H-D stable displaced 883cc when it hit the Indian road. Harley saw the biggest success of Royal
Enfield(RE)(the Indian equivalent of H-D) with lost-in-time pedigree that is now basking in 1,50,000 units a year –
Thanks to some uncanny engineering & an inimitable exhaust beat
H-D’s Street cost twice as much as
Royal Enfield’s Continental GT.
Priced@Rs.4.1 Lakhs H-D started
rolling out the Street 750 in December
2013 out of its 68,200 sq.ft facility in
Bawal,Haryana
Concept of affordability of H-D Street
To increase affordability H-D made a lot of investments(the biggest being
the CKD assembly plant to manufacture the Street 750).Having an
assembly unit in India essentially means that instead of the assembled
CKD Kits coming from their plants in the US,H-D has the parts come
directly to India from the vendors & the bikes are assembled here
H-D Smart Street
It was very tricky for H-D to retain its fortune in Indian
market. The all new entry-level motor-cycle had to have
-quintessential V-Twin Engine format
-It had to stand the Indian summer without over heating.
-And most importantly it had to be priced low
H-D street was a cruiser looked like quite modern bike. It
had a V-Twin Engine but water cooled. Street had sterling
performance but didn’t deter those who still liked the
traditional H-D cruisers
It is that affordable pricing
that has created an extremely
buoyant market for H-D. In FY
15,the Street 750 sold 3,029
units while the Royal Enfield
Continental GT sold 2,799 units
H-D also announced an
extended warranty program in
the beginning of 2015

10. The Classic 350 still
brings in the bulk of
Royal Enfield’s revenue
Triumph’s Bonneville series
has seen a 3x rise in sales

11. The Street 750’s value
proposition is reflected
in H-D’s sales volume

12. Recently H-D also tied-
up with Myntra to sell its
casual merchandise
through an exclusive
online store. It offers a
whole range of casual
outwear, sportswear,
denims & accessories
that gives H-D access to
a larger audience. So far
H-D ‘s merchandise in
India was sold only
through its dealerships
across 17 locations
If any H-D customer wants
to make a statement about
the bike, they need
screaming Eagle
performance parts that
helps to announce ones
arrival. These accessories
do not come free with the
bike & they start at
Rs.30,000 for the Street
750 & can go upto
Rs.1,00,000 depending on
the model
As a Harley owner, you
cant not have a basic
Harley T-Shirt that cost
Rs.2,000
You have to have a
Harley key-chain
that cost Rs.1,300
A pillion seat & back-
rest costs nothing short
of Rs.38,000 for a Street
750
You have to have a
H-D jacket (black
leather) costing
Rs.25,000
H-D Accessories adds value to your attitude

13. Harley’s target @ smaller cities in India V/s Triumph
In CY 15,H-D is
looking to establish
their presence in Tier-2
Markets. The cities
include Lucknow,
Coimbatore, Guwahati,
Nagpur & Dehradun for
dealerships
The decision to open
existing stores in Indore,
Jaipur & Surat was driven by
our existing customers who
had bought Harley’s
Harley’s strategy of getting
into smaller cities has
inspired Triumph as well.
When Triumph decided to
enter India it did exactly the
same things that Harley did.
It rolled out 11 models from
day-one in the price range
of Rs.6-22 lakhs
Triumph did not just target the
Metros. Triumph knew where the
bigger markets were & they
followed their customers. Now
they are planning to open stores in
Jaipur, Lucknow, Goa & also
Nepal
What Harley rolled out in 5
years, Triumph has done in 1
year & now is becoming a
close competitor. Triumph
sold 1,326 motorcycles in
FY 15 as against 271 in FY
14
On one hand the Street 750
is grabbing market share
from Continental GT, there
are other bikes like Triumph
that are aggressively creating
their own following
Tier-2 Cities Triumph Triumph

14. Harley’s growth in different Markets
H-D entered China in 2006 & has since managed to open only 18 dealerships in the last 9 India is the
only market in the region to have a manufacturing facility which doubles-up as an export hub. Starting in
2010,H-D spent some time trying to implement a strategy on targeting foreign markets surveying more
than 3000 prospective buyers in 10 countries & focusing on urban markets in Mumbai, Sao Paulo &
Tokyo among others. Retail sales in Asia-Pacific region in CY 14 were driven by growth in emerging
markets especially in India & China. At the end of CY 14,the Asia-Pacific region contributed 11.2% of
H-D’s worldwide retail sales of 2,67,299 motorcycles(a rise of 11.8% as compared to 2013)
Street 750-a cash cow to H-D
The Street 750 is sure to play a major role in strengthening H-
D’s position. The Street 750 is sold in India & shipped to
Southern Europe. In CY 15 H-D is planning to export the
Street 750 to the rest of the Europe. For H-D Asia is a great
region for the Street 750 & this is because of young, urban
customers who are looking for something more affordable
Till 2003,H-D’s overseas
revenue was just about
17%.But now the company
has grown that by more than
half over the past decade but
still only does about 32%
of its business outside the
United States
Harley’s new target Group in
Street 750
The typical Harley owners age
too has seen a shift. For
instance, if you look at the core
customer age it was around 38-
45 years but now H-D is seeing
a lot of traction from 25 year
olds
H-D in Japan & China
While Japan is a mature market
Harley believes it still has buyers
who fit the profile for the Street
750.In addition H-D continues to
make headway in China despite
higher duties & restrictions
H-D Engine
What draws H-D to most
customers is the performance
& retro styling despite being
a high-tech bike. The V-Twin
engine is extremely versatile
& the handling & control is
fantastic

15. Harley Festival
Young or old, members of the Harley cult love a
good party. For Instance in Feb 2015 at the India
Bike Week-There were few thousand people at the
rocky Vegator Beach in North Goa. Usually
dominated by western backpackers, this time
around one could see a whole bunch of Indians
with funky T-Shirts & trendy jackets, sideburns &
sunglasses
As people look on, a Harley vrooms in with
its signature screaming eagle sound followed
by a trail lining up to a thousand Harley’s.
There are only 13 models in India but each
bike has its own look. The thunder storm lasts
some 25 minutes tearing ear drums

16. Harley-A “crazy Machine”
Rajiv Bajaj, MD,
Bajaj Auto India
acknowledges the
presence of H-D as
the reason behind the
rising aspiration for
growth in the
segment. Despite not
much promotions,
Bajaj Auto’s average
sales of
Avenger(cruiser
bike) move from
3,500 motorcycles to
5000 a month in FY
15
Harley need not feel
like its share is being
gobbled by others
since its growth will
come from customers
upgrading their
bikes. Its a great
strategy by Harley-
you make the bike
affordable to draw in
bikers who may not
be able to afford the
brand & then they get
sucked into it
Once a Harley owner
is a part of that
community you cant
resist upgrading. A
lot of customers who
bought Street 750 or
Sportster are
upgrading to higher
models because they
are riding longer
distances & they
want more of their
motorcycle
With the various
clubs across cities.
break-fast rides &
community
gatherings becoming
common people
definitely ride
regularly even when
Harley is not their
main commuter
vehicle. Several
bikers these days put
in about 20,000 to
30,000 kms a year

17. Gujarat Police-Purchase of Harley Street 750
(Case Study)
Gujarat Police
Department
indulged itself by
buying 6
customized
Street 750’s in
2015
In fact Harley has
started off as a
police bike in the
US & that
segment may
bring in some
numbers
The main & real
challenge for Harley
is to protect &
perpetuate its cult
following
We are proud to add H-D
Street 750 motorcycles to
the Gujarat Police arsenal.
The Street 750 not only
addresses the Police
Departments need for
performance motorcycles
in challenging situations
but also provides great
confidence &
maneuverability in urban
conditions-said on of the
Police spokesperson

18. Anup George Rebello
Asst.Manager
The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd
(anuprebello.6@gmail.com)
http://www.slideshare.net/anuppresentations