What's up at Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki in India? | Deep Drive Podcast | Autocar India

 Japan's two-wheeler manufacturers are not just an intrinsic part of the Indian two-wheeler industry but also helped establish it. But at a time when Indian manufacturers are raising the game and startups have the potential to disrupt, Japan's legacy bike makers appear on the back foot.   
Rishaad Mody - Editor - Bikes, Autocar India - and Ketan Thakkar - Editor, Autocar Professional - discuss what's happening at Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki and the approaches the manufacturers are taking to stay relevant. Welcome to the Autocar Deep Drive Podcast powered by Kotak Mahindra Prime.  

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:50 Legacy partnerships: Hero Honda, TVS Suzuki, Bajaj Kawasaki
• 4:30 Emergence of independent Japanese brands post-2000
• 7:20 Honda's dominance in scooters and market strategy
• 10:15 Yamaha’s premium pivot and product inertia
• 13:00 Suzuki’s scooter strength and motorcycle struggle
• 15:10 Kawasaki’s missteps: W175, Ninja 300 strategy
• 17:30 Challenges in leadership: Short tenures & limited autonomy
• 20:00 Rigidity in Japanese corporate culture vs. Indian market agility
• 22:00 Missed motorcycle opportunities & fragmented product lines
• 24:30 Frustration over lack of parts, poor after-sales for big bikes
• 27:00 Strategic retreat to scooters; mass market exit by Yamaha
• 29:15 Rise in Japanese share of motorcycle market (FY20 to FY24)
• 31:00 Expansion: New plants by Suzuki & Honda, Yamaha’s cautious optimism
• 33:15 Why Japan doesn’t bring more global models to India
• 35:00 The EV story: Why Yamaha partnered with River for agility
• 36:30 Final thoughts on future commitment & strategy