Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles eyes ASEAN market for Jawa exports

Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles plans to start exports of Jawa brand of bikes in ASEAN countries in the next three to four months, a top company official said on Thursday.

The company, which launched the new Jawa 350 priced at Rs 2,14,950 (ex-showroom Delhi), is also working to enhance its reach across India, especially in smaller cities targeting to open 750 outlets in the next 24 to 30 months, Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles CEO Ashish Singh Joshi told reporters in an interaction here.

The company has been exporting Jawa back to the Czech Republic-based JAWA Moto spol. S r.O. The successor to the original JAWA company using the trademark JAWA, which in turn sells the bikes mostly in Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic.

"We also sell directly in Nepal and we have already opened operations in the Philippines, which will serve as the hub to sell in other ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand," Joshi said.

This is likely to start in the next three to four months, he said.

On export volumes, Joshi said it is not so large considering the company's focus has been on the Indian market.

After making a comeback in India in 2018, the company has sold about 2 lakh units in total, out of which nearly 5,000 units have been exported.

When asked about domestic plans, Joshi said Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles plans to bring in more models to add to the existing nine products in its stable at present without specifying details.

Also, he said the company is on a network expansion journey to widen and deepen its presence across India.

"We are looking to increase our outlets to 750 in the next 24 to 30 months from 423 at present," he said, adding that when the company started it was mainly in the metros and major cities.

It has gradually entered smaller cities and towns and will continue to do so, while also increasing the number of outlets in cities where it already has a presence to deepen its presence, Joshi added.

On the outlook, he said the company is looking at "double-digit" growth this year, having overcome the COVID-19 induced disruptions and supply chain issues.

"2024 is going to be the year of consolidation for us," he said, adding that the premium motorcycle segment in India has recovered while the entry-level motorcycle segment is also witnessing recovery.