India Yamaha Motor, having developed India as a hub for premium bikes (150cc and above), is planning to double its exports. Back home, it is eyeing a market share of 10% in the total two-wheeler segment by 2012 as against 3.5% at present.

“We are confident of exporting 70,000 units this year and then doubling it to 1.4 lakh units by 2010,” Yukimine Tsuji, managing director and CEO, India Yamaha Motor, said. The company had exported 40,000 units in 2008 from India, which serves as the only hub for Yamaha globally for its 150cc bikes, he said. India Yamaha currently has a series of bikes in this range including Fazer, FZ-6, FZ16 and YZF-R15.

According to Tusiji, the company is eyeing higher market share on the back of new products that will hit roads in future. “The company plans to launch a maximum of two new two models a year, as it aims for a 10% market share in India by 2012. We will invest Rs 200 crore over the next three years in developing new products for domestic as well as overseas markets,” Tusiji said, as the company on Wednesday launched its third superbike, the VMax, in India. It aims to sell 25 units of VMax, a 1,679cc bike priced at Rs 20 lakh (ex showroom Delhi), in the next one year and has already received eight bookings.

The company forayed into the super bike category in December 2007 with the 998cc YZF R1 and the 1,670cc MT01. Those were priced at over Rs 12 lakh. The company has sold 100 units of R1 and 50 units of MT01 in India so far.

In 2007, India Yamaha Motor announced an investment of Rs 800 crore over a period of five years. According to Tusiji, the company has already spend Rs 600 crore in setting up a new facility in India, developing new products and expanding its dealer network–from 214 dealers in 2007 to 400 dealers now.

According to Tusiji, the company is expected to register over a 50% growth in domestic sales at 2.2-2.5 lakh units in 2009 as against 1.6 lakh units sold in 2008 on the back of six launches since January. ?Domestic sales will go up by another 20% in 2010 to three lakh units while our exports would be close to 1.4 lakh units, taking the total sales to 4.5 lakh units,? Tusiji said.