Bajaj to add dealers, upgrade centres

Two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto Ltd plans to add 130 new dealerships, largely in small towns, taking its total dealerships to 600, and upgrade 1,100 service centres over the next one year to meet its growth targets.

Mr S. Sridhar, President, Motorcycle Business, BAL said, “We are well-placed in terms of distribution as far as Pulsar – a premium brand, with an urban focus – is concerned. Discover, which is a mass commuter, has huge potential in the smaller towns.

“While its growth in terms of volumes and market share has been outstanding, the next big boost will come from increasing the share in these towns and in rural India which accounts for more than 50 per cent sales of this category. These new dealerships will help the company to increase the share that this model has in the smaller towns, which are today inadequately catered to by only the secondary network.”

The 10 proposed new dealerships in Maharashtra will be in Sagamner, Chalisgaon, Bhandara, Nagpur, Hingoli, Aurangabad, Icchalkaranji, Washim, Pune and Solapur.

Design focus

He added, “We are also working with a reputed international retail design agency to enhance the experience at our dealerships. The new showroom design will also incorporate the twin brand strategy of the company. This showroom upgradation plan will be implemented phase-wise across all our dealerships over the next year.” The company is simultaneously upgrading service centres to support the advanced technology used in Discover and Pulsar. “Around 1,100 service centres are being upgraded at an investment of more than Rs 18 crore,” Mr Sridhar said. A typical Bajaj dealership in these towns requires 1,800 sq. ft. of showroom space, 2,200 sq ft. of workshop space, and has potential to employ around 50 people.