“WE'RE NOT IN THE EV RACE TO BE FIRST”

ANUPAM THAREJA AND SHARAD AGARWAL Co-founder and Chief Business Officer, respectively, of Classic Legends, the maker of BSA, Jawa & Yezdi motorcycles, open up to UTKARSH AGARWAL about brand growth, design priorities, export strategy, why they are in no hurry to enter the electric motorcycle space, and much more. Excerpts

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Since the relaunch in 2020, how has Jawa-Yezdi evolved and what kind of response have you seen in the market?

Anupam Thareja: From a brand perspective, awareness and consideration have been excellent. In some regions, we are even market leaders. Unfortunately, we launched it just before Covid - which did slow us down but post pandemic we've made strong progress. Now our product portfolio is getting completed, we recently launched the 3rd generation Yezdi Adventure bike as well. So, in the last 12-14 months whatever we have achieved, has not only won the awards but internally, our parameters whether it's product positioning, quality, or customer feedback have all been exceptionally strong. That's what I call evolution.

Can you share your sales numbers for the previous financial year?

AT: We haven't released it but have we have given a projection of 90,000 units by FY'26. We might fall slightly short due to export delays caused by new tariffs but we are largely on track.

What's the significance of the 3rd generation Yezdi Adventure motorcycle launched recently? And what sales numbers are you targeting with this?

Sharad Agarwal: The Adventure category in the 250-700cc segment contributes 6-7 per cent of the market, which is around 65,000-70,000 units annually. We launched the 2024 Adventure model last year and quickly became the fastest-growing brand in this segment. With this latest version we are further reinforcing our position with a strong mix of design, performance, and tech - all offered at an accessible price point. So, this combination is unbeatable, and we believe that it will disrupt the segment. We've also ensured the bike stands out visually. The dual headlamps and tail lamps, along with its unique form, make it instantly recognisable on the road.