Yamaha India has revealed plans for new entry level commuter bike, that is expected to be priced at Rs. 30,000. Sanjeev Paul, Group Head, Purchase, Operation, Yamaha India, does not like for this bike to be referred as Nano of motorcycles. He said cost is not the priority, even though it has a fixed target price. He added that this bike will have every bit of Yamaha DNA in its cells, pertaining to excitement, styling, performance and safety.
The company revealed that cost reduction will be done in a radical way. Yamaha will collaborate with its vendors right from the drawing phase, so that ideas, specifications, materials and manufacturing processes can be better planned to keep costs at minimum. This bike will be developed under Project Indra (Innovative and New Development based on Responsible Analysis). It will have R&D teams from India and Japan working together on this first-of-a-kind bike.
Paul says “It requires a lot of involvement to get the fix on design, testing and manufacturing standards. Suppliers are now the partners and the idea is to work together and find the best solution. Yet, we will not compromise on Yamaha’s core values even while working hard on cost reduction.”
Yamaha India’s upcoming 180-acre Chennai plant has a crucial role to play in Project Indra. 60 acres will be allotted to eight Japanese vendors who will be making components for this challenging bike. Vendors list includes KYB (Kayaba) for suspension, Sakura for job systems and others for casting and alloy wheels. Yamaha will use dedicated suppliers for injection moulding, painting and the like. This supply chain system will also largely contribute to reducing expenses which will be added to material costs.
Yamaha India has mentioned that half the bikes produced in Chennai plant will be exported to Africa, which welcomes such low-cost products of personal mobility.
Via – The Hindu Business Line
