M&M to launch motorcycle this year

The Mahindra & Mahindra group today said it would enter the motorcycle segment this year with the launch of an in-house developed bike.

The group, which aspires to be a significant player in the two-wheeler market, is also working on adding an additional production capacity to meet future targets.

"We are working on a motorcycle and you should see it during the course of 2010," Mahindra & Mahindra president (two-wheeler sector) Anoop Mathur said at the 10th Auto Expo in New Delhi.

When asked about the timing of the launch of the bike, he said, "We will time the launch of the bike in such a way that we get the best impact."

Mathur, however, declined to disclose the segment in which the bike will be positioned.

"We will be present across all segments of scooters and motorcycles as we want to become a significant player in the two-wheeler market. The new motorcycle will be one of the many products we will launch," he said.

The Indian two-wheeler market is pegged at about 8 million units annually, with Hero Honda leading the segment, followed by Bajaj Auto.