India is one of the biggest motorcycle markets in the world, with the annual sales volume of two-wheelers in the country exceeding that of the entirety of Europe and the US combined. To put that into perspective, in 2022 alone, more than 16 million motorcycles rolled off Indian showroom floors. In the US, this figure is just a little over 500,000, and in the old continent, the number climbs to 1.5 million.
Indeed, in a country as densely populated and price-sensitive as India, motorbikes simply make sense. Having said that, manufacturers have quite the impressive production facilities, and produce a dizzying volume of two-wheelers on a daily basis. For example, Suzuki Motorcycle India has just crossed the seven million motorcycle mark, with the seven millionth bike being a bright yellow Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX.
Suzuki Motorcycle India first opened its doors in India in 2006, following a joint-venture with the TVS Motor Company back in 2001. Since then, Suzuki had significantly bolstered its operations in India, where at present, bikes like the V-Strom 250 SX, Gixxer SF 250, and Gixxer 250 are manufactured in the country and subsequently exported to other markets. Suzuki India also produces a number of scooter models such as the Access, Avenis, and Burgman Street in India, and these models also see exportation to other Asian markets.
Kenichi Umeda, the Managing Director of Suzuki Motorcycle India expressed his excitement towards the milestone stating, "We are delighted to accomplish the 7 millionth production milestone. This is a testimony to our commitment to India, and we wish to achieve many such milestones in the future. We thank our valued customers, business partners, associates, and all my colleagues for this remarkable feat."
According to a report by AutoCar India, Suzuki Motorcycle sold a total of 938,000 two-wheelers in 2022 alone, marking an impressive 24.3-percent sales increase versus the previous year. With all the new launches, including the V-Strom 800 DE and GSX-8S in the premium segment, Suzuki is expected to continue this growth, not only in India, but in the Asian market as a whole.
