Suzuki always strives to come up with new products and schemes to attract customers

Satoshi Uchida is the Managing Director of Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd. He was in Kathmandu for the ‘VG Suzuki Dealer Conference 2016’ and for the planning of future expansions. He spoke to THT Auto Plus about the domestic two-wheeler industry and their plans and marketing strategies.

How do you see the two-wheeler market In Nepal and what kind of customer analysis do you have?

I discovered that the Nepali two-wheelers market is shifting towards high end premium motorbikes. In India our 110 cc segment has a huge market but in Nepal the 125 cc is in big demand. Nepali customers mostly focus on three factors — brand, engineering and design. Suzuki is a global brand with Japanese engineering that offers products in various designs and styles.

Here customers prefer more stylish and sporty bikes which Suzuki always strives for. Whether it’s a motorbike or a scooter, Suzuki always tries to manufacture products by keeping customers in mind. In the past few years, the scooter market is also growing rapidly here.

What is the competition like for Suzuki here in Nepal?

We have many competitors in the market and the competition is quite tough. But as a part of the solution, we try to focus on our strengths and work together to build a brand name through strong promotions. This year we are planning for aggressive finance schemes as we see that in Nepal, exchange and finance schemes in the two-wheeler market is much productive.

As a part of our promotion, previously we provided free helmets, windcheaterjackets, and accessories on the purchase of Gixxer bikes. These are original Suzuki approved accessories which no other brand had provided before. We have given our best in the manufacturing of engine and design which makes us no less than our competitors. Suzuki always strives to come up with new products and schemes to attract customers.

What is your market share? Does Suzuki have any plans for expansion?

In Nepal, we hold around six per cent market share and with the increment in dealer network and launch of other new two-wheeler’s in future we hope our market share will grow by 10 to 12 per cent.

Currently we have 60 dealers in our network in Nepal and by this year our target is to expand with 60 more. We are targeting those places where there is less competition and we want to push our motorbikes through good sales. It’s a big challenge for us. Also we are soon launching the Suzuki Access 125 scooter which is focused on both male and female customers.

What kind of marketing strategy does Suzuki have in mind for this scooter?

In terms of scooter, we are focusing on both male and female customers. Suzuki Access 125 is a good example of a scooter which is built strong and stylish. When it comes to marketing our product, both motorbike and scooter, Suzuki focuses on proper distributionchannels, innovative promotion schemes, product variation and customer preference.