Having failed to achieve the relief of import tax from the Indian government, Harley has now started to grease its move of assembling bikes locally. The bikes will be made in the US and dismantled to be imported to India as CKD kits. These kits will be assembled again in India. The bikes in this form may be rolled down in April this year if everything goes off well including dealer network.
There may be 12 models through 5 dealers across the country, said the company’s MD for India. The company is on the explorative mode for all possibilities in the Indian market. the price range of these models will be Rs695000-3495000 including 80%import tax and other taxes. The assembling of bikes would procure a saving of 50% tax. VW does this for its Audi A4 and A6 at Skoda’s factory. The companies like to relieve the customers by assembling the vehicles in India.
Harley’s position is sorrowful in its homeland hence the strategy to migrate to India. Its entry got delayed to Indian government’s emission norms for 500 +cc bikes. The exchange of accepting emission norms for bikes with 800+cc was made as an offer to the US on lifting the patent on Indian mangoes. This made many giants like Honda and Suzuki to come out with high-end bikes at Rs12lakhs +.