While the Nano is priced at Rs 1.12 lakh, Bajaj Auto's RE petrol variant costs about Rs 90,000, while its diesel variant is pegged at Rs 1.2 lakh. Analysts also say Bajaj can drop prices without any problem. "Bajaj Auto has been in the three-wheeler segment for 60 years. Which means their plants are fully depreciated and they can afford to lower the prices, which other manufacturers can't do," says a top executive from a competing three-wheeler brand.
Hindustan Zinc (HZL), a subsidiary of Vedanta, announced an interim dividend of Rs 21 per share last week, resulting in an outflow of Rs 8,863 crore. The announcement has turned the spotlight on India Inc's dividend-paying policy - more so for reasons driving the generosity of firms. An analysis of BSE 500 companies by Business Standard Research Bureau shows that some of the top 20 dividend-paying companies in 2021-22 (FY22) include Vedanta, Tata Consultancy Services, HZL, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil), Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Reliance Industries (RIL), and Bajaj Auto, among others.
On the Sensex chart, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj FinServ, SBI, IndusInd Bank, Dr Reddy's, Tech Mahindra, ITC and Kotak Bank were the prominent gainers - rising up to 7.29 per cent. NSE Nifty climbed 102.40 points to end at 15,737.75.
A knee-jerk reaction, they said, could be detrimental to the fortunes of an industry that is highly dependent on the country given the huge competitive advantage it offers, in terms of cost and speed.
A day before the settlement of the six-year-old Bajaj family dispute, the Bombay High Court has asked Rahul Bajaj, the family patriarch and chairman of Bajaj Auto, to compensate the Pittie family, a minority shareholder in group investment firm Bachhraj & Company.
The Madras high court on Saturday restrained TVS Motor Company from manufacturing, marketing and selling its bike 'TVS Flame 125' in the ongoing patent infringement case with rival Bajaj Auto Limited.
The country's second largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Bajaj Auto, on Sunday said there was no case for any layoff in the company even though there has been a cut in production due to a slowdown in demand. According to the figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, motorcycle sales in the country during October was down by 18.17 per cent at 5,38,353 units, against 6,57,874 units in the same month a year ago.
The Chennai-based company is developing bikes in the range of 200cc and above to compete with Bajaj Auto's Pulsar range, which begins with the 150cc variant and ends with the 220cc model at the top of the ranks, sources, who declined to be identified, said.
In an interaction with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on the impact of lockdown on India's economy, Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, said India tried to implement a hard lockdown which was still porous and ended up with the worst of both worlds.
TVS Motor Company on Monday re-launched Flame, a 125cc motorbike, with a single-spark plug ignition system. The move comes in the wake of the Madras High Court restraining the country's third largest two-wheeler maker from making and selling Flame for using the controversial twin-spark plug system.
Japan's Kawasaki Motors plans to tap long-time partner Bajaj Auto's vendors for putting together its high-end motorcycles for the global market.
The Maharashtra government can do little beyond using its good offices to pursue the Bajaj Auto management to revive production at its mother plant in Akurdi, near Pune.
French automotive giant Renault and India's second largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto has confirmed that they are holding talks for assessing 'very competitive vehicles' for the Indian market.
The Pulsar 200 SS has been eagerly awaited and is bound to be a massive success among bike enthusiasts, says Faisal Ali Khan
According to industry sources, the company has contacted customers who bought the 125cc XCD to replace faulty electronic components for self start and head lamps along with a part of 'noisy' centre-stand.The company had last month launched the 125cc XCD, which it claims clubs features of a 150cc bike with the mileage of a 100cc motorcycle, at Rs 41,000 (ex-showroom).
However, notable absentees from the expo will be Honda, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover along with two-wheeler majors Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Co.
Bajaj plans to double his share in the global market in three years.
The electric scooter juggernaut which has been picking up momentum with heady growth month-on-month is now slowing down. The combined number of registrations in April of eight electric two wheeler companies has seen a dip of over 1 per cent to 43,061 vehicles, according to data from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways' site VAHAN. The reasons are the continuing shortage of chips, especially after the Ukraine-Russia war, and the spate of fires which have led to scooters being recalled by manufacturers.
Bajaj Auto expects to launch its small car in the next four years in partnership with Renault and Nissan.
Bajaj Auto said it did not want to shut down its Akurdi plant and had no intention to use the Akurdi land for any purpose other than the company's automotives business.
Declining sales and sliding margins are compelling two-wheeler makers such as Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda and TVS Motors to rejig strategy, to cope with the slowdown.
In September, sales of 125cc models - that include the Hero Glamour, Splendor, Pulsar 125, Victor Star City, among others - grew by a whopping 30 per cent over the same period a year ago to 305,615 units.
With tax sops kicking in after the opening of its plant in Uttarakhand, two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto has slashed prices of its 100 cc model Platina by Rs 3000, ahead of its planned exit from the segment.
Facing the heat over the prospect of Tatas' Rs 1 lakh car affecting the two-wheeler market, Bajaj Auto on Monday said it may build cars to ward off the threat.
...followed by financial services, IT, and sales and marketing.
Two wheeler giant Bajaj Auto is all set to be carved into separate auto and finance entities, to be headed by group chief Rahul Bajaj's sons Rajiv and Sanjiv respectively.
After ruling the entry level segment with its 100cc motorcycles, the country's second largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto Ltd has decided to exit the segment owing to relatively lower margins.
India's leading motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto on Monday introduced the new Discover 112 cc, looking to increase its market share in the 'Executive' segment of motorcycles in the domestic market.
The ultra-low-cost small car being jointly developed by Bajaj, Renault and Nissan is expected to hit Indian roads by 2010. Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who was on a visit to Bajaj Auto in Pune on Monday, said that he hoped the prototype of the car will be completed by the end of this year. The car is expected to cost US $3,000 and will compete with Tata Motors' Rs 1 lakh car due next year.
Consumer stocks remain the biggest laggard on the bourses. The Nify50 weighting of FMCG stocks declined to a decade low of 9.9 per cent at the end of March this year, down 150 basis points from 11.4 per cent a year ago. At their peak in March 2013, major FMCG stocks, such as Hindustan Unilever, ITC, and Asian Paints, together accounted for 15 per cent of the Nifty50. But now together with automobile stocks, the consumer goods sector accounts for only 14.7 per cent of the index, down 200 basis points in the past 12 months and 37 per cent from the record high weighting of 23.4 per cent at the end of March 2014.
"We expect to capture the top position in the premium segment with the new bike. We are also working on another bike in the premium segment," Hero Honda managing director Pawan Munjal told reporters in New Delhi.
The country's second-biggest bike maker Bajaj Auto today said it will launch CNG
Denying he was charting out succession plans for his two sons, Bajaj Auto chairman Rahul Bajaj on Monday said work was being divided between the two brothers - Rajiv and Sanjiv - for operational efficiencies.
Fuel efficiency was the platform that had been built by the market leader in the segment, fun was the Discover domain. By diluting the message, the brand lost its old customers and pushed potential buyers into the leader's fold.
Those that are developing quadricycles from scratch say it will take them at least two years to roll them out.
Analysts caution against volatility and recommend buying stocks of companies that are on strong fundamental footing that have been beaten down badly in the recent carnage.
