Bajaj Auto plans to launch two new motorcycle product lines covering the 125cc to 250cc segment in FY2027, according to its joint managing director Rakesh Sharma. Speaking after the company’s Q2 FY2027 results, he said the brands will cater to customers in India and international markets and complement the Pulsar range.
- Both product lines will be sold in India and international markets
- More updates are planned for the Pulsar and Dominar ranges in the 160-400cc segment
Bajaj Auto plans product expansion in the 125-250cc segment
Bajaj, which lost market share in the 125cc and 150cc-plus segments last year, says recent Pulsar refreshes are helping
Sharma said, “Through two new brands, we will address the 125 to 250 segment and some subsegments within that.” The brands won’t each cover the entire range but are intended to complement each other. On the Q1 FY2027 call in July, Bajaj had outlined plans for two brands focused on the 125cc segment, aimed at customers with different needs and at encouraging 100cc owners to upgrade. At the time, Sharma said they would offer propositions distinct from the Pulsar range.
He acknowledged that Bajaj lost market share in the 125cc and 150cc-plus segments last year, partly because several of its products were nearing the end of their life cycles. Sharma added that Bajaj began with the 150cc-plus segment because “the 150 segment set the tone for the 125”. A premium model helps establish the brand and influences demand for lower-capacity variants.
The Pulsar NS and N series have been growing faster than the market in the 150cc-plus category, while the older Classic Pulsars and the 100cc segment have weighed on overall market share. “The whole reason for refreshing the old Pulsars was because the market share was stagnating, if not eroding slowly,” he said.
In the 100cc segment, Bajaj raised prices to protect profitability and accepted lower volumes. Sharma said the company would accept losing market share in entry-level models rather than cut prices aggressively and would focus its investment on the 125cc-plus segment.
Bajaj has launched multiple new models and updates over the past few weeks, including the new Pulsar 125 and Pulsar 150, as well as the updated Pulsar N160 S, N160 SS, NS400Z, N250SS and NS200.
Sharma said the recently introduced models accounted for 7 percent of Bajaj’s 125cc-plus portfolio in August, 26 percent in September and 33 percent in the first 16 days of the festive period.
Meanwhile, Bajaj’s overseas shipments rose 41 percent year on year to about 7.8 lakh vehicles in Q2 FY2027. Motorcycle demand was particularly strong in Africa and Latin America, with exports to Africa up 83 percent and those to Latin America, including Brazil, up 44 percent. Sharma said future export growth would come from gaining market share, entering new product segments in existing markets, expanding into more countries and strengthening the KTM collaboration.
With inputs from Darshan Nakhwa
