ICRA RATING FEATURE

TWO-WHEELER INDUSTRY: GROWTH DRIVERS INTACT
Contacts
Anjan Ghosh aghosh@icraindia.com (+91-22-30470006) Subrata Ray subrata@icraindia.com (+91-22-30470027) Jitin Makkar jitinm@icraindia.com (+91-124-4545368)

Overview
 The Indian two-wheeler (2W) industry has shown a strong volume growth over the last two-years, having grown by 25% in 2009-10 and 27% in 2010-111 to reach 13.3 million units. This strong double-digit growth has been driven by multiple factors. One reason, of course, is statistical as this period of high double-digit growth has showed up after a rather sedate previous two years, when the 2W industry volumes had shrunk by 5% in 2007-08 and had grown by a mere 5% in 2008-09. In addition to the contribution of pent-up demand, the 2W industry growth over the last two years has been supported strongly by various underlying factors including India’s rising per capita GDP, increasing rural demand, growing urbanization, swelling replacement demand, increasing proportion of cash sales and the less measurable metric of improved consumer sentiment. Going forward, ICRA expects the 2W industry to report a volume CAGR of 10-12% over the next five years to reach a size of ~21-23 million units by 2015-16 as it views the fundamental growth drivers comprising of expected steady GDP growth, moderate 2W penetration levels, favourable demographic profile, under developed public transport system and utility quotient of a 2W - to be intact. Additionally, the entry of new players in the industry, multitude of new model/ variant launches, growing distribution reach, cheaper ownership costs on a relative basis are expected to be some of the other prime movers for industry growth over the medium term. In ICRA’s view, while the trend in rising commodity prices, hardening interest rates and increasing fuel costs may lead to some moderation in industry growth over the short term, the growth over the medium to long term is expected to remain in double digits. ICRA believes the landscape of the Indian 2W industry is set to evolve as several new players are keen to enter into the Indian market which would further intensify competition; most existing players plan to extend/ strengthen their reach into the rural and semi-urban markets to harness incremental growth opportunities; and manufacturers are showing increased thrust on new product development and repositioning to tap new customer segments. These dynamics would ensure that business does not remain as usual for the large incumbents as market share may change hands to some extent. Nevertheless, the existence of strong product capability, wide distribution network and established supply chain will continue to be the necessary conditions to sustain competitive advantage and achieve economies of scale. In view of the higher than expected demand last year, several OEMs had faced capacity constraints in their supply chain for select components which resulted in persistent demand-supply gap for few models, reflected in long waiting periods at dealers’ end. To overcome



June 2011





1

Refers to April-March period comprising of both domestic as well exports sales volumes
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supply constraints and also to gear up for meeting the continued buoyancy in demand, most players currently have plans to expand production capacity which would entail large capital expenditure (capex) both by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) as well as suppliers. While this may pull down the profitability metrics of industry participants over the short term, the anticipated strong volume growth should enable them to tide over the short term pressures and emerge with a bigger scale and a relatively stronger credit profile over the medium term.  Also, ICRA views the current asset-light business model of OEMs as a key positive as most of the players source a majority of components from suppliers and in-house facilities are generally limited to component assembly (or manufacture of select parts). Thus, capacity expansion in existing facilities by OEMs is likely to involve only moderate incremental capex; although the quantum is expected to be much higher for OEMs who plan to establish greenfield facilities to augment existing capacity which may impact RoCE to some extent. Further, for suppliers engaged in capital intensive product segments like castings, forgings and machining, the payback is expected to be accomplished over a relatively longer time horizon as compared to that likely to be achieved by OEMs or other auto component manufacturers.

DEMAND DRIVERS FOR THE 2W INDUSTRY On one hand, growing economic well-being reflected in rising per capital GDP is likely to make 2Ws more affordable; on the other, various fundamental drivers such as low 2W penetration (in relation to several other emerging markets), favourable demographics, growing urbanization and swelling replacement demand are expected to enable the growth momentum to sustain over the medium term.

Rising Per Capita GDP

Penetration increase scope

Favourable Demographics

Growing Urbanization

Swelling Replacement Demand

Rise in GDP per Capita has increased affordability of 2W India’s per capita real GDP growth of 7% (CAGR) over the last six years (refer Chart 1) has contributed substantially towards raising the standard of living of households, which in turn has been one of the key drivers of growth for the country’s automobile industry. However, income growth is likely to have been uneven across the different income deciles. Income at the lower end of
Chart 1: Trend in India's Population and GDP per Capita
No. of households (million)

Chart 2: Income Distribution of Households
160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

1,220 1,200 1,180 1,160 1,140 1,120 1,100 1,080 1,060 1,040 1,020

45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 -

Million

Rs.

1000

Population (million)

GDP per capita, factor cost, constant prices (Rs. )

2001-02
Source: Census, Central Statistical Organization Source: NCAER's Estimates

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the distribution scale, which comprises the 2W target segment2, is likely to have grown at a rate below the overall per capita income growth rate. Yet economic well-being has led to a significant increase in the number of households coming within the 2W target segment over the past few years. As per NCAER’s estimates, the number of households having annual income between Rs. 200,000500,000 is estimated to have increased to 22 million in 2009-10, a scale-up by a factor of 2.5x over 2001-02 (refer Chart2). Incidentally, this scale-up is almost similar to the expansion in the domestic 2W industry size (by volumes) during this period. Given that economic and population growth would further expand the Chart 3: Trend in GDP per Capita and 2W Prices universe of low to middle income 80,000 earners who have the threshold 70,000 purchasing power to buy a 2W, 60,000 the pattern of healthy industry 50,000 growth is likely to hold in the 40,000 foreseeable future as well. Also, 30,000 significantly, 2W purchase prices 20,000 and operating expenses (inflation 10,000 adjusted) are now around 36% lower than they were a decade 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11E back, considering that vehicle GDP, factor cost, current prices prices have not escalated much On-Road Price (example of a large sellling entry segment bike) over the years, indicating On-Road Price (example of a large selling premium segment bike) Source: Central Statistical Organization, ICRA's Estimates increasing in affordability of 2Ws (refer Chart3). Under-penetrated market as compared to other emerging markets to provide adequate headroom for future growth Although India is the second largest 2W market in the world in terms of sales volumes (after China), the 2W household penetration level in the country is much lower at around 36% than in some of the other emerging markets such as Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan. Also, the penetration rates differ between India’s rural and urban areas, with the rural areas being under-penetrated by a factor of 3x as compared to larger cities. That said, assuming that households having annual income less than Rs. 90,000 do not have the ability to own a 2W, the existing household 2W penetration in India in the addressable income segment of households (i.e. income greater than Rs. 90,000) is estimated to be around 74%3 (refer Table 1). Prima facie, this appears to be a large figure and suggests that penetration-driven growth may be difficult for the 2W industry to accomplish over an extended time horizon. However, the fact that in absolute terms there are still 28 million households at present in the primary target income segment that do not own a 2W, the scope for penetration-led future growth continues to be reasonably large. Additionally, the social trend in favour of nuclear families coupled with expected expansion of the target income segment pie going forward is expected to further increase the number of households which could be potential targets for the 2W industry. Table 1: 2W Penetration in India
(Figures in million) Total number of households -Households (with annual income 1,000,000) 2W population in India 2W Penetration Based on total number of households Based on addressable income levels 2009-10 222 114 104 4 80
Rs.

36% 74%

Source: Census, NCAER, ICRA’s Estimates
2

The low to medium per capita income strata remains the primary target market for 2W OEMs since the high income category is more likely to bypass the 2W mobility alternative altogether and graduate directly to cars. 3 As per estimates, the 2W penetration in the greater than Rs. 1,000,000 income segment is over 72%.
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Favourable demographic profile to continue to feed the consumption cycle A large youth population potentially offers a sizeable market for consumer products. India currently has a very favourable demographic profile with average age of 25 years, which is 9 years younger than China, and more than 12 years and 19 years younger than the US and Japan, respectively. As per ICRA’s estimates (based on Census 2001 and Census 2011 data), around 33% of India’s population of 1.2 billion (in 2011) belongs to the age bracket of 20-40 years. Within this, the population of males, which is the key target segment for motorcycles, is estimated to be 206 million (refer Table 2); and the population of females, which is the key target segment for scooters4, is estimated to be 189 million, suggesting existence of large size of the addressable market. On conversion of even 20% of this youth population into 2W owners, a demand for ~80 million 2W (6.8x domestic 2W sales in 2010-11) is estimated to get generated over the medium term. Further, with the youth population estimated to increase to 229 million by 2015E, a cumulative increase of 11% over 2011, the 2W consumption cycle appears strongly sustainable. This age group is also characterised by a combination of earning power and high spending propensity, which would increase the likelihood of conversion of potential ownership into actual ownership. Table 2: Estimated Population of India’s Male ‘Youth’ 2001 2001 2011E Sex Ratio India’s Population India’s Population^ 2011E Estimated Population (Males) 2015E India’s Population^ 2015E Estimated Population (Males)

0 to 4 934 110 206 5 to 9 923 128 million 10 to 14 902 125 110 57 15 to 19 858 100 127 66 20 to 24 938 90 124 65 25 to 29 1,007 83 99 54 30 to 34 988 74 89 46 35 to 39 958 71 83 41 40 to 44 865 56 74 37 45 to 49 906 47 70 36 50 to 54 843 37 55 30 55 to 59 1,036 28 47 25 60 to 64 1,025 28 36 20 65 to 69 1,091 20 27 13 70+ 992 29 ^Assuming 0.74% mortality rate (applied uniformly across all age brackets) Source: Census 2001, ICRA’s Estimates

229 million 109 126 123 99 88 82 73 70 55 47 36 56 66 65 53 46 41 37 36 29 25 20

Interplay of growing urbanization and rising rural incomes augurs well for domestic 2W demand As per Census definition, an area is classified as urban if it has a population of more than 5,000; has a population density exceeding 400 persons per square kilometer; and 75% of its male workers are engaged in a non-agricultural profession. Nevertheless, state governments have the flexibility to declare an area as urban for administrative purposes. Urbanization has drawn people living in India’s rural and semi-rural hinterland to cities and towns at a steady pace (refer Table 3). The need for mobility in most Indian cities and towns therefore has increased substantially, yet the proliferation of public transport system has not kept pace. This is where the utility of a 2W as the most affordable mode of private transport comes to the fore. Empirical data suggests that there is a strong positive correlation between urbanization and 2W demand, particularly in the initial stages of economic growth. For instance, 2W penetration in states
4

In 2010-11, scooters accounted for 18% of total 2W domestic sales volumes (16% in 2009-10) of 11.8 million units.
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like Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra is much higher than the pan-India penetration due to the relatively higher degree of urbanization in these states. With urbanization expected to rise progressively, around 89 million people are estimated to be added to India’s urban spaces over the next decade (78 million people are estimated to have got added over the last decade), which could potentially be one of the most defining changes likely to transpire. Especially so, since this would add fuel to allied drivers, including increase in proportion of working women and rise in wage and salaried people that is expected to have a strong positive impact on the demand for consumer durables. Table 3: Trend in Urbanization in India Figures in million Rural Population Urban Population 1991 629 217 2001 742 286 2010E 819 358 2015E 853 401 2020E 879 447 Source: Census 2001, Statistical Outline of India 2009-10 % Urban Population 25.7% 27.8% 30.4% 32.0% 33.7%

Further, to the extent the rise in urbanization is contributed by migration of people from rural and semi-rural regions, it would in turn support increase in remittances to the rural markets enhancing rural incomes. Industry estimates suggest that around 60% of the rural economy now depends on non-agricultural sources of income, such as remittances from cities, trading, and employment in the manufacturing sector. While the increase in crop prices during the last three years has left larger disposable incomes with rural customers, non-agrarian sources of income have also played an important role in supporting consumption by rural masses. The interactions between rural and urban centres could be part of a virtuous cycle, as cities have benefits beyond their boundaries. This is validated by studies which show that rural populations adjoining large urban centres have around 20% higher income than the rural average. Thus, the legacy of lower penetration levels in the rural market, scarcity of public transport infrastructure and the rising income levels would be positive triggers for rural 2W demand, going forward. At the same time, rising salary levels in urban areas, shortening replacement cycles, increasing traffic congestion in cities would be factors augmenting 2W demand in urban areas. Replacement demand to be a key contributor to 2W industry volumes going forward According to estimates, around 50% of the total domestic sales of 2W are now made to first-time buyers5, 30% to customers looking to upgrade from their existing vehicle, and 20% to buyers seeking a second vehicle for the household. The break-up suggests that currently around 50% of the sales in the domestic 2W market are made to replacement buyers. Industry estimates also suggest that the 2W ownership cycle has now shrunk to less than five years. Considering that the industry has sold around 79 million 2W in the domestic market since the turn of the century, the total replacement demand works out to a fairly large number (refer Table 4). Add to this the healthy growth in sales to first-time buyers in recent years, driven in particular by sales to the rural market, the replacement opportunity could only increase in the future. Table 4: Age Profile of 2W in India Motorcycles > 10 years^ 11% 6-10 years 34% 0-5 years 55% Total 100% ^Refers to the period from 1983 to 2000-01 Source: SIAM, ICRA’s Estimates Scooters 42% 23% 35% 100% Mopeds 55% 19% 27% 100% Total 22% 30% 48% 100%

From the consumer perspective, although replacement involves fresh capital spending, the inducement of upgrading to an improved technology 2W, having better performance, features and more attractive styling; complemented with increased spending propensity are expected to be the prime ingredients feeding replacement demand.
5

Many of the first time buyers are bicycle converts and this number is expected to be fairly large considering that currently around 12.5 million units of bicycles are sold per year.
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INFLUENCE OF SUPPLY SIDE FACTORS With demand drivers appearing in place to support the domestic 2W industry growth, the supply side enablers too will have a key role to play in catalysing the growth process. Amongst various factors, adequacy of manufacturing capacity; availability of assorted products across 2W categories suited to diverse customer segments; accessibility of customer touch points and effective customer communication strategies hold prime importance in complementing the underlying demand.

Installed Capacity

Entry of new players and new product introductions

Promotion and Distribution Reach

Consumer Finance

Large additional capacity creation necessary to meet the expected strong 2W demand The 2W Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have made regular investments over the years to meet the consistent rise in demand. The installed capacity of the top three players viz., Hero Honda Motors Limited (HHML), Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) and TVS Motor Company Limited (TVS), which together command a market share of over 80% in the domestic 2W market, rose from 8.4 million units in 2005-06 to 12.9 million units in 2010-11 incurring a cumulative capex of around Rs. 3,700 Crore over this period. Table 5: Installed Capacity of 2W OEMs in India Actual Expected* 2011-12 million units (Nos.) 2009-10 2010-11 Hero Honda 5.4 5.6 5.7 Bajaj Auto 3.9 4.5 5.0 TVS 2.4 2.8 3.0 HMSI 1.6 2.0 2.2 Suzuki 0.3 NA 0.5 Yamaha 0.6 NA 1.1 Royal Enfield 0.7 0.7 NA Mahindra 2W 0.5 0.5 *As per announcements made by respective OEMs Source: Annual Reports, Media Reports, ICRA’s Estimates
Chart 4: Trend in Capacity Utilization million units (Nos.)

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Capacity (Top three OEMs) Production (Top three OEMs)

100%
80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Source: OEMs' Annual Reports, ICRA's Estimates

However, barring the 2007-08 and 2008-09 periods, the overall capacity utilization in the industry has remained healthy. Generally, the variance in production volumes between the highest and the lowest production month during a year is around 25-30%, which implies that capacity utilization in the region of 75-80% is the typical industry norm. However, in 2010-11, the capacity utilization of the top three players at around 87% (Refer Chart 4) was the highest in the last several years, reducing the capacity buffer available. Notwithstanding the above, the primary reason for the OEMs’ inability to fully meet the prevailing demand in 2010-11 was the shortage of components from select suppliers, rather than in-house capacity constraints. Further, in 2010-11, the industry had to grapple with labour shortage issues due to insufficiency of skilled manpower which impacted production in labour intensive units particularly. To cater to the expected rise in future 2W demand, many OEMs have announced capacity expansion plans comprising of both greenfield as well as brownfield investments, which is expected to make capacity utilization revert to its historical levels. As per ICRA’s estimates, to achieve industry volumes of 21-23 million units by 2015-16 (domestic and export), the OEMs will need to invest around Rs. 4,500 Crore over the next five years for expanding their in-house capacity. Additionally, an amount of Rs. 10,500 Crore is estimated to be spent by the auto component manufacturers considering that the 2W OEMs have shifted a major part of their

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capital burden6 to their vendors. For the bigger players like HHML and BAL, the 2W business has been highly profitable allowing them to strengthen their balance sheets over the years through strong cash accruals. Thus, availability of surplus funds is expected to allow them to incur the required capex without stretching their balance sheet and credit profile. For many of the other players, while profitability metrics may come under pressure over the short term, the anticipated strong volume growth should enable these companies to tide over the short term pressures and emerge with a bigger scale and a relatively stronger credit profile over the medium term. With regard to addressing human capacity, a greater emphasis is now being laid by most companies on skill development of labour by way of imparting in-house training. Also, as a long term measure, the industry is already working in close coordination with the government towards building a roadmap for providing vocational education pertinent to the industry. ICRA’s interaction with various industry players suggests that in case labour shortage/ high costs persist, the industry will have no choice but to invest in making production processes more automated, which will call for additional capital investments. Entry of new players into the Indian market has enriched product offerings and brought-in new technologies A snapshot of the 2W manufacturers operating in India across time shows that while the core that existed 10 years back continues to remain the same, there have been several casualties along the way but at the same time there have been several new entrants (Refer Table 5). Table 5: 2W OEMs Operating in India Year 2000 Year 2011 Bajaj Auto Bajaj Auto Hero Honda TVS - Suzuki Royal Enfield Escorts Yamaha Hero Honda TVS Motor Royal Enfield India Yamaha Motor LML Honda Motorcycles & Scooters Remarks Bajaj Auto exited the scooters segment in 2010 Hero Honda entered the domestic scooters segment in 2006; ended its JV with Honda in 2010 TVS and Suzuki parted ways in 2001; both have a presence in the domestic 2W industry now as separate companies Remains a niche player manufacturing cruiser bikes Partnership between Escorts and Yamaha ended in 2001 with the latter buying out the former’s entire stake in the erstwhile JV LML was referred to the BIFR in 2006 and is still under its purview; the company currently produces scooters although volumes remain small Honda, through its wholly-owned subsidiary in India, entered the scooters segment in 2001 and the motorcycles segment in 2004 After having exited the Indian market in 2001 on cessation of the JV with TVS, Suzuki entered the domestic motorcycles segment in 2006 and the scooters segment in 2007 Mahindra entered the domestic 2W market in 2009 after buying out the assets of Kinetic Motor (80% stake)

LML

-

Kinetic Motor

Suzuki Motorcycle

Companies no longer manufactu -ring 2Ws

Mahindra Two Wheelers Harley Davidson, Hyosung, Ducati

Kinetic Engineering Majestic Auto Maharashtra Scooters

Recent global entrants into the Indian 2W market

Source: ICRA
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For HHML and BAL, annual depreciation charges are in the region of 1-1.5% of operating income. Due to an outsourcing-based production strategy, BAL’s depreciation costs in fact have come down from Rs. 185.4 Crore in 2004-05 (3.1% of OI) to Rs. 136.5 Crore in 2009-10 (1.1% of OI).
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Many of the erstwhile strong players like Kinetic Motor (Brands - Moped: Luna; Scooter: Pride, Marvel, Nova, Zing, Blaze; Motorcycles: Challenger, Boss, Velocity, Aquila), Majestic Auto (Brands Mopeds: Hero Panther, Hero Effy), Maharashtra Scooters (Brands - Scooter: Priya) and LML (Brands - Scooters: NV, Select, Supremo and Motorcycles: Freedom, Adreno) lost their ground over the years due to, amongst other reasons, their inability to maintain a contemporaneous product portfolio. The competitors, on the other hand, executed a combination of right marketing strategies and right product mix to expand their market share. For instance, Kinetic that enjoyed a strong market share of over 40% in the scooters segment in the mid-1990s, later faced tough competition from its erstwhile partner - Honda - in the scooters segment after breaking-off from its JV in 1998. Likewise, Kinetic’s once iconic moped brand Luna and Majestic Auto’s mopeds, are now extinct giving way to TVS’ mopeds which currently command a market share of more than 95%. Not so long ago, even BAL and TVS experienced flagging motorcycle sales due to lack of appropriate products in their portfolio in key segments, a deficiency that has been partly made up over the last few years with the introduction of new products and new technologies. The revival of the scooters segment is another case in point, the credit for which could be given to the technically evolved versions of gearless scooters introduced by Honda Motorcycles & Scooters in the year 2001. The strong success of the Honda Activa in the Indian market eventually prompted both the existing players (Hero Honda) as well as new players (Suzuki, Mahindra) to take notice of the opportunity offered by the domestic scooters segment7. Table 6: Chronology of Product Launches (New Models and Variants) by Key Players
2006-07 CD Dawn, CD Deluxe, Achiever, Karizma, CBZ Xtreme, Glamour FI, Passion Plus Pulsar 200 DTS-I, Kristal 2007-08 Splendor NXG, Hunk, Super Splendor, Passion Plus, Splendor Plus, Pleasure Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi, Discover 125 DTSI, Discover 135 DTS-I, XCD 125 DTS-Si StaR City 110 cc, Star Sport, Flame, Apache RTR 160, Scooty Teenz Electric 2008-09 Passion Pro, CBZ Xtreme, Pleasure, Splendor NXG, CD Deluxe, Glamour, Hunk XCD 135 DTS-Si, Platina 125 DTS-Si 2009-10 Karizma ZMR-FI, Hunk, Splendor Plus, Splendor NXG, Passion Pro, Glamour, CD Deluxe/Dawn, Pleasure Pulsar 220F, Pulsar 180 UG, Pulsar 150, Pulsar 135 LS, Discover 100 DTS-Si

Hero Honda

Bajaj Auto

TVS

Scooty Teenz, Scooty Pep+, Star City, Star City Sport

Scooty Streak, Apache RTR RD

Flame, Jive, Wego

Source: ICRA Table 7: New model launch plans of 2W OEMs Bajaj Auto Next generation Discover and Pulsar range Boxer KTM Duke 125 cc/ 200cc TVS Honda Motorcycles & Scooters Suzuki Yamaha Source: Media Releases Two new 2W Mass market 100cc bike CBR 250R New Scooter, Two new motorcycles Scooter H2, 2011-12 July 2011 H2, 2011-12 2011-12 2012-13 Q1, 2011-12 December 2011 H2, 2011-12

Thus, over the last decade, the entry and gain in strength of new players (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Mahindra) in the Indian market has expanded the number of product offerings; and has also ensured
7

The contribution of the scooters segment to the domestic 2W industry has increased from 12% in 2006-07 to 18% in 2010-11. Honda Motorcycles & Scooters and TVS are the largest two players in the domestic scooters segment and had a market share of 43% and 22%, respectively in 2010-11.
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that large incumbents maintain a contemporary product portfolio to protect their market share. In ICRA’s view, this trend is likely to hold in the future. The Indian 2W industry today is almost half the size of the Chinese market in terms of production volumes but also has far lesser number of manufacturers. While there are eight key players in the Indian market that produced 13.8 million units in 2010-11; the Chinese market has around 10 large companies that capture around 70% of the 24.2 million units’ large market (out of a total of around 50 2W companies). This, in conjunction with the fact that the largest two listed players i.e. Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto continue to enjoy strong profitability, indicates that the Indian market may also see the influx of new players such that excess returns currently being earned by select players diminish over the longer term. In the upper-end of the motorcycles segment, three global players namely, Harley Davidson, Hyosung and Ducati have already entered into the Indian market; and Mahindra has also made an entry into the scooters segment, the executive motorcycles segment and the premium motorcycles segment. From the OEMs’ perspective, sustenance of market position in the future would require greater investments in new product development and brand building as Indian customers mature and become even more demanding. Eventually, this is expected to bring-in multiple benefits from the consumers’ standpoint including (a) more product options to choose from while making a purchase decision (b) increase in segmentation and creation of new sub-product categories (c) greater competition amongst OEMs giving rise to innovations and better value-formoney offerings; all being supporting conditions for supply to tango with demand. Distribution network strengths will continue to matter in the growth chase To get the best returns from the distribution network, an OEM strategy that balances the necessity to expand customer touch points while ensuring adequate dealer profitability and minimal channel conflict is crucial. Ideally, the distribution network of an OEM in a city should be large enough to provide both sales as well as service convenience to customers; yet it should be small enough such that every outlet could have optimum capacity utilization. Considering that the overall 2W market continues to be under penetrated, most OEMs have maintained their focus on expanding their sales-cum-service outlets especially in the semi-urban and the rural areas. Current established dealers have helped OEMs scale up their networks quickly by setting up satellite dealerships along with service facilities in the neighbouring smaller towns. As per estimates, the rural market now accounts for around 45% of total domestic 2W sales volumes elevating their significance in the OEMs’ business strategies. The instances cited in Table 8 highlight the growing prominence of rural markets in the OEMs’ priorities. Table 8: Growing Focus of 2W OEMs on Rural Markets
Hero Honda: Hero Honda has been adding 500-600 customer touch points every year and has doubled the count from 2,000 in March 2006 to 4,200 (includes around 800 dealers) in March 2010. To strengthen its presence in the rural markets, HHML had launched a dedicated rural vertical in 2007-08, which took several new marketing initiatives including launch of a national-level programme to direct sales efforts in territories with a population of 5,000 and above. Bajaj Auto: Bajaj Auto, which currently has around 500 dealers, has embarked on an aggressive network expansion programme whereby it plans to add 130 new dealers by November 2011. At present, Bajaj Auto’s distribution network is well placed as far as the Pulsar, a premium brand with an urban focus, is concerned. This proposed network expansion programme is directed mainly towards the smaller towns and villages where its mass commuter bike Discover may see a further boost. TVS: In 2010-11, TVS’ mopeds, which as a product category have a rural and a small city focus, accounted for 39% of its total domestic 2W sales (23% in 2006-07). This represented a volume CAGR of 28% over the last three years, against 8% CAGR for its total 2W sales. Honda Motorcycles & Scooters: Currently, the rural market accounts for around a third of Honda’s domestic 2W sales. The company has recently announced its plan to introduce new products suited for the mass market and targeted at rural consumers. Yamaha: Currently, the rural market accounts for only 15% of Yamaha’s domestic 2Wsales. Recently, the company has announced its plans of increasing its network strength in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and increasing the number of sub-dealers in rural areas. However, the company will have to complement this with an appropriate product and pricing strategy since its existing portfolio essentially has a premium positioning.

Source: Company, Media Reports, ICRA
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For the smaller players and the relatively new entrants, one of the key challenges confronting them in terms of strengthening their market position is to scale up their distribution network. However, the inevitability of lower volumes in the initial periods may repulse new dealer inclusions. To incentivise, such OEMs are generally required to compensate their dealers by offering higher margins effectively leading to higher channel investments. Given in Table 9 is the comparison of volumes, revenues and costs for a typical dealer of Bajaj Auto (high volume player) and Yamaha (low volume player) in a tier-II city. Table 9: Estimated Dealer Margins Comparison – Bajaj Auto Vs Yamaha Bajaj Auto Annual Dealer Sales Volumes (units Nos.) 480 Service Load Per Year (units Nos.) 18,000 Revenues (Sales + Service + Spares) (Rs. Crore) 27.3 Lease Rentals (Rs. Crore) 0.2 Employee Costs (Rs. Crore) 1.3 Fixed Operating Costs (% of Revenues) 5.5% Vehicle Purchase Costs (Rs. Crore)^ 23.0 Spares Purchase Costs (Rs. Crore) 1.8 Other Costs (Rs. Crore) 0.1 Operating Margins (%) 3.6% Inventory Carrying Costs (Rs. Crore) 0.3 PBDT (Rs. Crore) 0.7 PBDT Margins (%) 2.5% PAT (Rs. Crore) 0.4 Payback (years)* 4.0 ^Based on gross margins of 4.3% in case of Bajaj Auto and 9.3% in case of Yamaha *Based on present value of lease rentals and assuming a flat profit growth Source: ICRA Estimates

Yamaha 600 2,520 4.1 0.2 0.2 10.3% 3.3 0.2 0.01 3.3% 0.03 0.1 2.5% 0.1 8.4

The above analysis suggests that for a low volume OEM to ensure that its dealer chain earns similar PBDT margins as that of bigger players, it is required to offer around 500 basis points higher gross margins on vehicle purchases. Still, in absolute terms the profits earned by such dealers would likely remain much smaller vis-a-vis their bigger counterparts due to lower volumes. Accordingly, the payback for a smaller volume dealer, despite higher margins, is estimated to be twice as long as that of a higher volume dealer (Refer Table 9). This is a quintessential vicious circle for the new players as having a large distribution network is vital for achieving adequate sales volumes and sufficient volumes are in turn necessary to keep the dealer ecosystem interested. The implications of this are twofold; one, the new OEMs/ smaller players will need to make much higher investments till such time as their volumes achieve a critical mass; two, the customers may have to partially bear higher 2W service costs, effectively creating an entry barrier against new entrants. This underscores the key competitive advantage currently being enjoyed by Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and TVS due to their vast distribution network in the domestic market by virtue of their longer operating history, an advantage they are likely to maintain over the medium term. Availability of finance no longer critical for sales culmination Amongst various factors contributing to the strong volume growth recorded by the 2W industry over 2009-10 and 2010-11, the shift in the purchase pattern of buyers has been one of the important features. Till 2006-07, around 50% of all 2Ws purchased were financed. This share has now come down to around 25% in 2010-11 (Refer Chart 5). The decline in proportion of 2W financing has been due to relatively sharp rise in delinquencies during 2007-09 and resulting cut back of lending to this segment by some banks/ NBFCs. The diminishing importance of finance availability as an influence on the customers’ purchase decision has also partly been the result of the increasing share of rural sales, where buyers rely less on the organised financing sector; and partly the outcome of

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relatively lower sales growth of entry segment motorcycles8 where dependence on financing was traditionally the highest. The financiers too, on their part, have been following stricter lending norms now including mandatory CIBIL checks, ensuring higher down-payments to the extent of 40-60% of the price and performing the credit due diligence function on their own, instead of outsourcing the same to Direct-Sales-Agents (DSAs), a practice followed in the past. Over the last one year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been tightening its monetary stance resulting in a northward 2010-11 movement of interest rates. However, in ICRA’s view, the impact of the same on 2009-10 the 2W industry is likely to be least 2008-09 amongst all segments of the automobile industry, due to its low dependence on 2007-08 financing as discussed earlier. Moreover, 2006-07 even for consumers relying on bank or NBFC borrowing, the rise in interest rates 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% would have a marginal impact, given that Source: ICRA's Estimates every increase of 100 basis points (bps) in the interest rate translates into an addition of just Rs. 12 in the equated monthly instalment (EMI) (Refer Table 10). Nevertheless, if interest rates keep inching up because of spiralling inflation, consumer sentiments may be negatively impacted and demand may suffer to that extent. Further, rising inflation will also reduce disposable income in the hands of consumers impacting discretionary spending.
Chart 5: Proportion of Financed 2W

Table 10: Sensitivity of EMI to Interest Rates Interest Rate Scenarios Loan amount^ (Rs.) Loan Tenure (months) 11.0% 12.0% 13.0% 14.0% 15.0%

Executive segment motorcycle 25,200 (On-Road Rs. 42,000) EMI (Rs.) 12 2,227 2,239 2,251 2,263 2275 EMI as a proportion of 19.5% 19.6% 19.7% 19.8% 19.9% disposable income* EMI (Rs.) 18 1,525 1,537 1,548 1,560 1572 EMI as a proportion of 13.3% 13.4% 13.5% 13.6% 13.7% disposable income* Source: ICRA’s Estimates; ^60% of On-Road price *Assuming Annual income (I): Rs. 200,000; Income available after paying taxes (J = I*(1-taxes)): Rs. 196,000; Marginal propensity to consume (c):0.7x; Disposable income = (J)*(c) A 2W remains amongst the most economical modes of commuting In June 2010, the Central Government had announced its decision to deregulate petrol prices such that they could reflect international rates. An increase in petrol price by Rs. 2 per litre is estimated to result in an increase in monthly fuel bill by around Rs. 80 for a heavy 2W user having monthly usage of 2,500 km (Refer Table 11). The impact would accordingly be lesser for a consumer having moderate monthly usage. In any case, since a 2W is the most economical mobility option, it puts it at a comparative advantage vis-à-vis other vehicle alternatives. But the negative impact of an increase in petrol prices on buyer sentiments remains a relevant risk, as that may persuade consumers to postpone their purchase.

8

The entry segment motorcycle sales as a proportion of total industry sales volumes has fallen from 41% in 2005-06 to 25% in 2009-10
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Table 11: Comparison of Operating Costs across Modes of Transport Ordinary Low Floor Bus Service AC Bus Delhi Metro Delhi Delhi Fuel Efficiency (km/ litre) Fuel Costs (Rs./ litre) Average Running Charges per km (Rs.) 0.88 1.50 1.04 Monthly Service Charges (Rs.) 0.0 0.0 0.0 Monthly Insurance Charges (Rs.) 0.0 0.0 0.0 No. of km travelled per month 1,000 1,000 1,000 Total Operating Costs per month (Rs.) 875 1,500 1,039 Source: ICRA’s Estimates DOMESTIC 2W MARKET

2WExecutive Segment 70 60 0.86 67 63 1,000 986

4WEntry Segment 15 60 4.00 250 500 1,000 4,750

Entry segment of motorcycles shrinking in size as OEMs pursue profitable growth through other 2W segments Motorcycle models with a sticker price of up to Rs. 40,000 constitute the Entry segment. This segment largely consists of 100cc bikes and is currently composed of the CD Dawn and CD Deluxe models of HHML, Platina of BAL, Star Sport of TVS and Crux and Alba of Yamaha. The Entry segment has faced continual volume pressures in the domestic market over the last several years and was also the worst hit during the credit squeeze in H2, 2007-08 and the economic slowdown of 2008-09. Although sales volumes in this segment have remained flat over 2009-10 and 2010-11, the segment’s share in the domestic 2W market has steadily declined from 43% in 2005-06 to 16% in 2010-11 (Refer Chart 6). Several factors have contributed to the waning importance of the entry segment in the Indian 2W market. These include the gradual shift in preference of consumers in favour of the more feature-rich Executive segment, reluctance of organized financiers to increase credit exposure on this segment9 and the OEMs’ own strategy of reducing focus on this relatively less profitable segment. Table 12: Brand Churn in the Entry Segment Chart 6: Trend in Domestic Sales Volumes of Entry
Segment Motorcycles
3.0 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

Million Units (Nos.)

Brands Discontinued Hero Honda Bajaj Auto TVS Source: ICRA CD 100, Street, Joy CT100, Boxer, Byk Centra, Spectra, Max100

Existing Brands CD Dawn Platina StaR

2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 -

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Sales Volumes
Source: Industry Estimates

Share of Total Domestic Motorcycles

The shrinking volumes in this segment have led to discontinuation of several leading brands of the past (Refer Table 12). For instance, Bajaj Auto’s CT100 was clocking monthly volumes of 80-85,000 in 2005-06, but was eventually discontinued and replaced with the Platina whose current production volumes hover around 30-35,000 per month. Being a segment which offers limited scope for margin expansion and remains a highly interest-rate sensitive segment, almost none of the 2W OEMs have any plans for new model introductions into this segment. Nevertheless, the Entry segment bikes have a strong exports potential especially to other developing markets. Even now, a large majority of motorcycle exports from India are in the entry segment. For instance, Bajaj Auto mainly sells its entry segment bike Boxer in Africa, a continent which accounts for around 50% of the company’s exports. Yamaha too is considering export of its mass market bike Crux to Africa and
9

Being a relatively smaller ticket segment, the Entry segment’s customers usually belong to the most vulnerable economic section within the universe of motorcycle buyers which is not the preferred segment for organized financiers. The Entry segment constitutes only around 15% of all financed 2W sales.
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South America. Unless any disruptive innovations materialize (like the Tata Nano in the passenger vehicle segment) resulting in significantly lower price points, ICRA expects the Entry segment volumes to grow at a much slower pace than the overall 2W industry and volume growth to be driven mainly by exports. Executive segment remains the largest volume generator for the 2W industry Motorcycle models with a price between Rs. 40,000-50,000 comprise the Executive segment, which is largely concentrated around the 100-125 cc models. The segment has benefited the most due to up-trading from the Entry segment consequent to the growing sophistication of customers, besides the steady and secure replacement demand. Accordingly, the segment’s share in the domestic motorcycles segment has risen from 48% in 2005-06 to 65% in 2010-11 (Refer Chart 7). Being the largest volume generator, the Executive segment has also seen the largest number of new model launches and portfolio refurbishments by all players and involves the highest product and brand clutter (Refer Table 13). Table 13: Existing Brands in the Executive Segment Chart 7: Trend in Domestic Sales Volumes of Executive Brands (100cc) Brands (125cc) Segment Motorcycles Splendor Plus, 7 70% Splendor NXG, Hero Honda Super Splendor 6 60% Passion Plus, 5 50% Passion Pro 4 40% Platina 125, 3 30% Bajaj Auto Discover 100 Discover 125 2 20% TVS Jive Flame 1 10% 0 0% Honda Motorcycles CB Twister CB Shine 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 & Scooters Sales Volumes Share of Total Domestic Motorcycles Suzuki Slingshot Yamaha YBR, G5 YBR 125, SS 125 Source: Industry Estimates Mahindra Stallio Million Units (Nos.)

Table 14: Brand Strategy Comparison of the Two Leading Players

Hero Honda
•Has developed product lines rather than single products by introducing price steps. •Example: Splendor Plus and Splendor NXG are both 100cc bikes but are priced differently. Similar is the case with Passion Plus and Passion Pro

Bajaj Auto
•Has relied on line stretching instead of offering products with price steps •Example: Offers the Pulsar 180cc and Pulsar 220 cc at the higher-end of the premium segment and the Pulsar 135cc at the lower end of the premium segment leveraging an established existing brand (i.e. Pulsar 150cc); offers the Discover 150cc at the lower end of the commuter-premium segment stretching the Discover 100cc brand; offers the Platina 100cc in the entry segment and the Platina 125cc in the Executive sement

Source: ICRA Although the Executive segment has high competitive intensity reflected in the presence of a large number of brands, Hero Honda remains the clear market leader on the strength of its Splendor and Passion series of bikes that have maintained a dominant position over the years. In fact, in 2008-09, Hero Honda’s market share in this segment had touched the highs of 80%, due to subdued competition in that period following lowering of Bajaj Auto’s focus on the 100cc segment and the absence of contemporary products in TVS’ portfolio. Since then, both Bajaj Auto and TVS have introduced new products - Bajaj Auto launched the Discover 100 in July 2009; and TVS launched the Jive (110cc bike) in December 2009. Bajaj Auto’s Discover 100 has been a runaway success since its launch and has captured a market share of around 22% in less than two years of its launch (currently clocking monthly volumes of ~1 lakh units), causing Hero Honda’s market share in this segment to revert to historical levels of around ~65%. TVS Jive’s monthly run-rate, on the other hand, has
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remained low so far at ~4,000 units, even as it is uniquely positioned as the only auto-clutch bike in the country. While there are brands from several other players too that have a presence in this segment, none have been able to pose any serious competition to Hero Honda so far. Yet, the strong growth opportunity provided by this segment due to its large size has drawn regular new product introductions from all players including Honda Motorcycles & Scooters (third largest player in the Executive segment after Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto), Yamaha, Suzuki and Mahindra, significantly expanding the segment’s pie. Going forward, ICRA expects competition in the Executive segment to intensify further as Honda Motorcycles & Scooters and Suzuki have announced plans to introduce new products in this segment. Concurrently, the refurbishment rate of existing brands is also likely to gain further pace. However, considering the healthy growth prospects of the segment, it is less likely for competition to be based on price and below-the-line promotions. But the segment is expected to derive a greater share of marketing spends as investment in building brands could have positive long term benefits for gaining/ protecting market share in this large volume segment. Premium segment expected to continue being the fastest growing in the motorcycles market Motorcycle models with a price of over Rs. 50,000 comprise the Premium segment, which consists largely of greater than 150 cc engine capacity bikes. This category is the most segmented and includes: (a) performance bikes, ranging from 150cc to 220 cc and consisting of Hero Honda’s Glamour, Achiever, CBZ Extreme, Hunk and Karizma; Bajaj Auto’s Pulsar family, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters’ Unicorn Dazzler, and TVS’ Apache RTR, besides models from the stables of Suzuki and Yamaha (b) cruiser bikes such as Royal Enfield’s Bullet and Bajaj Auto’s Avenger (c) ultra biking range consisting of Bajaj Auto’s Kawasaki Ninja, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters’ CB 1000R, Suzuki’s Hayabusa and Yamaha’s YZF-R1.
Chart 8: Trend in Domestic Sales Volumes of Premium Segment Motorcycles
1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 20%
Million Units (Nos.)

15%
10% 5% 0%

2006-07 2007-08 Sales Volumes Source: Industry's Estimates

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Share of Total Domestic Motorcycles

The Premium segment has been the fastest growing one over the last five years having recorded a volume CAGR of 27%, a period in which its segment share increased to 17% in 2010-11 from 9% in 2005-06. Bajaj Auto’s Pulsar family comprising of 135cc, 150cc, 180cc and 220cc bikes occupy the frontal position in this segment with a market share of ~50% (monthly volumes of 70,000-75,000 units), followed by Hero Honda with a market share of ~20%. The balance 30% is almost evenly distributed between Honda Motorcycles & Scooters, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Unlike Executive segment motorcycles, which are positioned as commuter products and family bikes providing basic transportation, the positioning of the Premium segment bikes is anchored on performance attributes. While Executive segment bikes typify higher fuel economy and lower operating costs, the features of Premium segment bikes are characterized by visual appeal, higher speeds, heady acceleration and superior ride, handling and braking. At the edge, however, such clear distinction in terms of target customers has now blurred. This is evident from Bajaj Auto’s introduction of the Pulsar 135cc, targeted at the conventional commuter segment aspiring to experience sports biking. Likewise, the Discover 150cc is positioned as a family bike for the commuter segment wishing to ride a higher displacement bike. In ICRA’s view, the market for this segment offers further scope for segmentation in terms of price points and performance characteristics. Also, the segment is expected to get crowded as new players like Harley Davidson, Ducati and Hyosung gear up to expand their presence in the super-premium segment. At the same time, Bajaj Auto, Suzuki, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters and Mahindra also
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have multiple products in the pipeline slated for launch in the near term. Some of the new products planned to be launched are either likely to be imported as completely built units (CBUs) or would carry a high imported content resulting in higher prices which could restrict volumes. Although these products are not meant for the mass market, considering the increase in customer awareness levels, the OEMs cannot afford to ignore the price-value equation. Overall, this segment is expected to remain the fastest growing over the medium term, given the disproportionate growth in purchasing power in the hands of middle-class urbanites, especially in the age group of 20-30 years. This should also translate into superior profit margins for players that are stronger in the Premium segment. Segment repositioning driving growth in the Scooters segment As a product category, scooters have undergone an image makeover over the last decade. From being a laggard in technology and characterised by two-stroke engines, high emissions and old styling, scooters have metamorphosed into vehicles with more refined engines and contemporary styling. Product positioning has also undergone a change with all OEMs relinquishing geared scooter designs and introducing gearless scooters with low kerb weight and self-start features that are suited to certain consumer categories like women. Revitalized by these changes, the Scooters segment has grown at a fairly rapid pace over the last five years, albeit on a small base, having recorded a volume CAGR of 18% to reach 2.1 million units in 2010-11. During this period, its share in the total domestic 2W market has also increased from 13% in 2005-06 to 18% in 2010-11. The Scooters segment has also experienced a trend in growing segmentation with the category now having three differentiated sub-segments consisting of sub100cc models, 100cc models and 125cc models, each having its own value proposition and target segment. While the sub-100cc segment scooters are light weight having fibre-bodies, the 125cc scooters are positioned as power scooters with metal bodies. Amongst these three sub-segments, the 100cc scooters sub-segment remains the largest, accounting for 67% of the total domestic scooters market in 2010-11, and is currently dominated by Honda Motorcycles and Scooters.
Chart 9: Trend in Domestic Sales Volumes of Scooters Segment
2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

Chart 10: Share of Scooters Segment in the Domestic 2W Industry
60%

50%
40% 30% 20%

10%
0%
1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09
Volumes

2009-10
Growth

2010-11

Source: SIAM

Source: SIAM, ICRA Estimates

Chart 11: Scooters: Sub-Segment Mix
120% 100% 80% 60% 72% 0% 2% 7%

14%

18%

73%

72%

65%

40% 20%
0%

67%

28% 2006-07

24%

21%

21%

15%

2007-08 Sub 100cc

2008-09 100cc 125cc

2009-10

2010-11

Source: SIAM, ICRA Estimates

Table 15: Brands across Scooter Sub-Segments Sub-100c 100cc 125cc Honda Dio, Motorcycles Activa, & Scooters Aviator Hero Honda Pleasure Scooty Teenz, TVS Wego Scooty Pep+, Scooty Streak Duro, Flyte, Mahindra Kine Rodeo Suzuki Access
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Overall, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters continues to maintain its leadership position in the Scooters segment, through its flagship brand Activa (besides Aviator and Dio) enjoying a market share of 43% in 2010-11, followed by TVS at 22%. In the past, several players such as Scooters India, Kinetic Motor and LML exited from the segment, unable to run the business profitably in an industry-wide declining volume scenario. In May 2010, Bajaj Auto too completely exited the Scooters segment where it once enjoyed a strong market position. That said, the segment has seen several relatively new entrants in the form of Hero Honda which launched the Pleasure in January 2006; Suzuki which launched the Access 125 in September 2007; and Mahindra which has been the latest entrant in the fast growing Scooters segment through its acquisition of the business assets of Kinetic Motor in July 2008. Yamaha too recently announced its plans to introduce an India-specific Scooter model in the domestic market in 2012, looking to repeat its success in this product segment in Indonesia. ICRA expects the Scooters segment to maintain its growth momentum over the medium term and gradually increase its share in the domestic 2W market from 18% in 2010-11 to 24% by 2014-15. With this, the Scooters market is estimated to get doubled in size by 2014-15. Thus, even as a multitude of brands already dot the segment’s landscape and more are expected to follow, the likely expansion in the pie should offer sufficient volumes for the industry to grow profitably. For the new entrants, a steady gain in market share could hasten the process of profitability improvement. EXPORTS Overseas markets capturing the interest of most 2W OEMs in India Exports offer strong growth opportunity to Indian companies, given India’s low-cost manufacturing capabilities and reliable quality10. 2W exports from India reported a CAGR of 25% over the period 2005-06 to 2010-11 to reach 1.5 million units in 2010-11. BAL is the largest 2W exporter from India, followed by TVS, with both companies exporting to a large number of countries. Together, BAL and TVS accounted for 79% of all 2W exports from India in 2010-11 and the managements of both companies consider exports a key component of their overall growth plans11. Table 16: Trend in 2W Export Volumes (from India) Units (Nos.) 2006-07 2007-08 Bajaj Auto TVS Hero Honda Honda Motorcycles & Scooters Yamaha Others Total 2W Source: SIAM 298,769 103,013 97,645 24,065 61,395 34,251 619,138 482,026 137,012 90,571 35,442 61,352 13,444 819,847

2008-09 633,463 193,320 81,193 53,807 38,537 3,854 1,004,174

2009-10 726,189 165,414 97,699 79,504 65,123 6,255 1,140,184

2010-11 972,437 229,132 133,063 104,237 95,529 5,192 1,539,590

However, export volumes of the largest 2W manufacturer in the world Hero Honda, have remained rather flat, being around 0.1 million units and accounting for just 2% of its total 2W sales volumes in 2010-11 (Refer Table 16). Nevertheless, following the cessation of its JV agreement with Honda Motor Company (Japan) recently, Hero Honda is expected to get aggressive on the exports front, something it could not do earlier due to the JV’s constraints which restricted the markets to which it could export. Currently, HHML’s export markets are limited to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Columbia but the company is likely to expand its geographical footprint over the medium term. Yamaha too has announced plans to intensify its focus on exports and is even looking to set-up a third plant (in addition to the Surajpur and Faridabad plants) where it would manufacture mass market bikes (like Crux and YBR) with Africa and South America as the key target markets.

10

In the global 2W market, which is around 43 million units (excluding India), aggregate exports from India currently stand at a mere 1.5 million units. 11 Bajaj Auto expects to derive around 50% of its revenues from exports in five years’ time.
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Table 17: Export Markets of domestic 2W OEMs Destination Markets Hero Honda Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Columbia

Key Brands Exported CD Dawn, Splendor, Passion, Glamour, CBZ Xtreme, Hunk, Pleasure Boxer, Discover, Pulsar Apache, RockZ, Neo NA NA

Present in over 36 countries; Africa & Middle East: 51%; South Asia: 25%; Latin America: 15%; South East Asia: 9% Present in around 55 countries; Africa, Latin America, TVS South-East Asia Exports to over 50 countries including developing HMSI countries and Europe Direct exports: Nepal; Indirect exports: through Yamaha Yamaha (Japan) Source: Annual Reports, Company Releases Bajaj Auto

Since the developed markets like the United States and Europe have altogether different product and technology requirements as compared to emerging markets, they get naturally excluded as target markets for the Indian players. Accordingly, a large majority of 2W exports from India are to developing markets like South Asia, Africa and Latin America. While the developing markets are quite large in terms of volume potential, their appeal from a profitability perspective is somewhat mixed. Bajaj Auto’s margins in certain markets like Africa12 are either similar or lower than that in the domestic market; although in various other overseas markets, it does earn 3-4% higher margins. At the same time, competition from global players in other developing markets is also quite formidable. For instance:    The African market is replete with Chinese bikes which provide strong price-based competition to other players The South-East Asian market also has high competitive intensity where the Japanese majors like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki command the bulk of the volume share The Chinese market, the largest 2W market, has its own set of challenges including lack of respect for intellectual property and low price points

Over the years, Bajaj Auto and TVS have expanded their overseas presence in a large number of countries and have even established assembly units in China (Bajaj Auto) and Indonesia (Bajaj Auto and TVS) to have direct local presence. However, for sustaining exports growth going forward, the domestic players will need to continuously identify new potential markets, develop products suited to local needs, invest in building brands for increasing market share and appropriately cope up with the challenge of establishing a distribution network.

12

The Boxer brand motorcycles sold by Bajaj Auto in Africa are manufactured by it in China where cost of manufacturing is slightly lower as compared to India.
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FINANCIAL OUTLOOK Rising raw material costs remains the biggest challenge for sustaining profit margins Raw materials remain the biggest component in the cost structure of OEMs accounting for around 85% of total costs. Thus, the Operating Profit Margins (OPM) of OEMs are quite sensitive to movement in prices of major raw materials like steel, aluminium and rubber. After a period of benign raw material prices in 2009-10, prices of most commodities showed an upward trend in 2010-11. Despite the strong demand, OEMs were able to pass on the increase in input costs to customers only partially; but could mitigate the adverse impact to some extent through internal cost reduction and focus on changing product mix towards superior margin products.
Chart 12: Trend in Steel and Aluminium Price Movement
160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Jun-09 Feb-10 Jun-10 Feb-11 Oct-09 Dec-09 Oct-10 Dec-10 Apr-09 Apr-10 Aug-09 Aug-10

Chart 13: Trend in Rubber and Copper Price Movement
600 500
Rs. per Kg

Rs. per Kg

400

300
200 100 0
Jun-09 Feb-10 Jun-10 Dec-09 Aug-09 Aug-10
Dec-10

Apr-09

Steel Source: CMIE

Aluminium Source: CMIE

Rubber

Table 18: Price Hikes by Leading 2W OEMs since Q1, 2010-11 Hero Honda Bajaj Auto  June 2010: 1.0%-1.7%  July 2010: 1-2% (Except Splendor &  October 2011: 2% Karizma)  January 2011: 1%  December 2010: 1.0 April 2011: 1% 2.5%  March 2011: 2% Source: Company

  

TVS July 2010: 1.0-1.5% September 2010: 1.22.2% April 2011: 1.5-2.0%

In case commodity-based headwinds continue, OEMs may be left with no choice but to further increase 2W prices whose impact on demand is expected to be different across segments - demand elasticity is higher in the Entry and Executive segment of motorcycles as compared to the Premium segment. However, the largest two OEMs have other levers available in the form of scale of operations, superior bargaining power with their vendors and dealers and scope to enhance capacity at their plants located in Uttarakhand where they benefit from fiscal incentives; which should enable them to partly offset the margin pressures imminent. Additionally, the strategy of select players to diversify into other related product categories like diversification into three-wheelers (3W) by Bajaj Auto and TVS; and proposed diversification into the Scooters segment by Yamaha is also expected to provide them scale benefits and support EBITDA growth. Both Bajaj Auto and Hero Honda currently have manufacturing plants in Uttarakhand which provides them various fiscal incentives such as 100% excise exemption for the first 10 years, 100% income tax exemption for the first five years and 30% income tax exemption for the subsequent five years. Bajaj Auto had commenced commercial production at its Pantnagar plant in April 2007; and Hero Honda had commenced commercial production at its Haridwar plant in April 2008. Currently, both OEMs produce over a third of their total 2W production from these plants which offers them excise duty exemption on effective value add and provides benefits in the form of lower effective income tax rates. Overall, operations from these plants are estimated to result in savings of around Rs. 500 per vehicle for these OEMs. As these fiscal incentives lapse, the comparative advantage enjoyed by these players on this aspect would accordingly reduce to that extent over a period of time.
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Apr-10

Copper

Feb-11

Oct-09

Oct-10

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In view of the strong demand, most OEMs have lined up capacity expansion plans over the short term. This is likely to increase the proportion of fixed costs in their cost structure in the initial phases till such time as production ramps up. In this period, the RoCE of such OEMs is likely to dip to a certain extent; however, the expected strong volume growth over the medium term should allow them to overcome such profitability challenges eventually.

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ANNEXURE-I Quarterly Trend in Revenues and Profit Margins for the three Listed 2W Companies
Trend in Revenues and Profit Margins for Hero Honda
6,000 5,000 18% 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0%

Rs. Crore

4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

Revenues

OPM

PAT Margins

Trend in Revenues and Profit Margins of Bajaj Auto
5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 35%
30% 25% 20%

Rs. Crore

15% 10%
5% 0%

Revenues

OPM

PAT Margins

Trend in Revenues and Profit Margins of TVS
1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 6% 5% 4% 3%

Rs. Crore

2% 1% 0%

Revenues

OPM

PAT Margins

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ANNEXURE-II 2W Price Comparison (Delhi – On-Road) MOTORCYCLES Upto Rs. 40,000 BAJAJ AUTO Platina Price 35.6 Rs. 40-50,000 Discover DTS-Si Platina 125 Price 42.6 41.6 > Rs. 55,000 Discover 150 DTS-i Pulsar 135LS Pulsar 150 DTS-i Pulsar 180 DTS-i Pulsar 220 DTS-i Pulsar 220F Avenger 220 DTS-i Kawasaki Ninja 250R Glamour (Drum, Alloy, Self) Glamour (Disc, Alloy, Self) Glamour PGM-FI (Drum, Alloy, Kick) Glamour PGM-FI (Disc, Alloy, Self) Achiever (Disc, Alloy, Self) CBZ Extreme Hunk Karizma Karizma ZMR Price 51.6 59.1 69.6 73.0 80.6 83.6 77.5 303.1 48.3 50.3 54.2 58.4 56.2 60.4 59.1 76.4 95.9 Pleasure 38.1 SCOOTERS Price

HERO HONDA CD Dawn CD Deluxe (Spoke, Kick) CD Deluxe (Spoke, Self) CD Deluxe (Alloy, Kick) CD Deluxe (Alloy, Self)

34.8 36.5 38.7 37.8 39.8

Splendor Plus (Spoke) Splendor Plus (Alloy) Splendor NXG (Spoke, Kick) Splendor NXG (Spoke, Self) Splendor NXG (Alloy, Kick) Splendor NXG (Alloy, Self) Super Splendor Passion Plus (Spoke) Passion Plus (Alloy) Passion Pro (Spoke) Passion Pro (Alloy) Jive Flame SR 125 (Drum) Flame SR 125 (Disc)

40.5 41.6 39.7 40.5 41.2 43.5 46.9 42.3 44.1 45.4 46.5 48.9 49.1 51.8

TVS Star Sport Star City 110 (Kick) Star City 110 (Self)

37.0 39.3 42.4

Flame DS 125 (Disc, Alloy, Self) Apache RTR 160 Apache RTR 160 (Rear Disc) Apache RTR 160 EFI Apache RTR 180

57.3 63.4 65.5 69.8 67.1

Scooty Pep+ Scooty Streak Scooty Teenz Wego

37.5 39.6 27.5 45.4

ICRA Rating Feature

Two-Wheeler Industry: An ICRA Perspective

MOTORCYCLES Upto Rs. 40,000 HONDA Price Rs. 40-50,000 CB Twister (Drum, Alloy, Kick) CB Twister (Drum, Alloy, Self) CB Twister (Disc, Alloy, Self) CB Shine (Drum, Spoke, Kick) CB Shine (Drum, Alloy, Self) CB Shine (Disc, Alloy, Self) Price 44.7 47.9 51.0 45.8 50.3 53.1 > Rs. 55,000 CBF Stunner (Drum, Alloy, Self) CBF Stunner (Disc, Alloy, Self) CBF Stunner PGM-FI CB Unicorn CB Unicorn Dazzler CB1000R CBR1000RR VFR1200F GS 150R GSX-R1000 Bandit 1250S Hayabusa Intruder Price 53.8 56.9 68.6 61.9 65.7 1007.8 1325.7 1925.6 64.8 1403.8 936.2 1376.3 1376.3 Dio Activa

SCOOTERS Price 39.8 42.8 44.0 45.0 50.3

Activa DLX Aviator 110 (Drum) Aviator 110 (Disc)

SUZUKI Slingshot (Spoke) Slingshot (Alloy) 48.0 50.1 Access 125 47.0

MAHINDRA Kine Duro Flyte Rodeo YAMAHA Crux Alba (Drum, Spoke, Kick) 35.4 37.1 YBR 110 G5 YBR 125 SS125 45.3 43.0 48.2 49.5 SZ SZ-X FZ-16 FZ-S Fazer YZF-R15 YZF-R1 MT-01 51.2 53.5 68.6 70.8 76.0 102.7 1400.1 1116.3 33.4 43.5 45.0 48.1

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ICRA Rating Feature

Two-Wheeler Industry: An ICRA Perspective

Analyst Contacts Chennai Pavethra Ponniah (pavethrap@icraindia.com, 91 44 45964314) V Srinivasan (vsrinivasan@icraindia.com, 91 44 45964315) K Srikumar (ksrikumar@icraindia.com, 91 44 45964318) Delhi Anupama Arora (anupama@icraindia.com, 91 124 4545303) Shamsher Dewan (shamsherd@icraindia.com, 91 124 4545328) Jitin Makkar (jitinm@icraindia.com, 91 124 4545368) Mumbai Subrata Ray (subrata@icraindia.com, 91 22 30470027) Kinjal Shah (kinjal.shah@icraindia.com, 91 22 30470054) Ashish Modani (ashish.modani@icraindia.com, 9120 25561194)