Bajaj-Triumph has shifted its domestic focus towards the lower-taxed 349-cc engine, and has kept the 400-cc platform exclusively for exports. Manik Nangia, president, Probiking, Bajaj Auto – which manages KTM, Husqvarna, and Triumph – told FE that this transition is rooted in physics and economics.
Evolution over innovation
When faced with new taxation (all bikes above 350 cc are now taxed 40%, and smaller than 350 cc attract 18%), the engineering team quickly shortened the stroke of the engine to make it 349 cc. “Shortening the stroke and not touching the bore meant relatively low investment,” Nangia said. “It was more of an evolution, a retuning, of the existing platform, rather than an entirely new engine.”
Branding remains
Despite these changes, ‘400’ branding remains. Nangia said that the brand has become well-established following 33 months of significant marketing investment and effort. “For the customer, it’s a bike that is tuned like a 400, but taxed like a 350,” he said. “For the average rider, the displacement change is nearly invisible. The state of tune remains consistent across the range.”
Aggressive growth targets
This strategic realignment comes as the partnership eyes massive expansion. Having reached its first 100,000 units in 33 months, Bajaj-Triumph aims to achieve the next 100,000 in less than half the time. “This confidence stems from the fact that our retail footprint has expanded from 14 stores to 230 outlets, many of which are less than six months old and entering their exponential growth phase.” Nangia said. “In addition, we have new models, such as the Tracker 400, and the market trusts us – it’s easier to sell the second 100,000 than the first 100,000.”
Lastly, while an adventure-style Tiger 400 isn’t in the immediate lineup, Nangia hinted that such formats could certainly be part of the future.
