Monday 25 March 2019

Royal Enfield announces formation of wholly-owned subsidiary in Thailand

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Since their unveiling in December 2018, Royal Enfield's Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 twins have received over 700 bookings in Thailand.
  • Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 recently won the 'Best Modern Classic Middle-Weight' award at the Thailand Bike of the Year 2019 awards.
  • Royal Enfield plans to expand its reach in Thailand to about 15 standalone dealers and 25 authorized service centers by March 2020.
Royal Enfield today announced the formation a wholly-owned subsidiary in Thailand, which will also be its first in the Asia Pacific region. Thailand will also get Royal Enfield's first assembly plant outside India. The CKD plant is expected to commence operations by June 2019.
"Ever since we commenced sales in Thailand three years ago, we have been absolutely delighted by the love we've received from riders here. Our customers in Thailand have discovered that our modern classics are brilliant for long rides on the highway while also being perfect to commute on in heavy traffic in the city. We are committed to focusing our energies on becoming part of the fabric of this country's rich motorcycling culture, and our decision to start assembling our motorcycles in Thailand is a sign of Royal Enfield's long-term commitment and growing confidence in the market," Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal said in a statement.
Thailand was one of the first markets in Southeast Asia for Royal Enfield's new Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 twins. Since their unveiling in December 2018, the 650 Twins have already received over 700 bookings in Thailand, with over 100 motorcycles delivered till date. Inspired by Royal Enfield's rich heritage, the twins complement a rich model line up already on sale in the country and were developed ground-up by teams at Royal Enfield's technical centres in Chennai, India and Bruntingthorpe, UK. Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 recently won the 'Best Modern Classic Middle-Weight' award at the Thailand Bike of the Year 2019 awards.
"Thailand has become Royal Enfield's third home after its origins in the UK and success in India. The initial success of the 650 twins in Thailand has proven that Royal Enfield is well poised to fill the gap in the mid-size segment," Lal said.
"With a massive segment of commuters ready to upgrade and a robust long-distance, leisure riding culture in the country, Thailand offers huge headroom for growth for Royal Enfield. We believe that localising our operations in Thailand will allow us to serve our customers at a closer and more intimate level," Lal added.
Talking about Royal Enfield Thailand's business plans, Royal Enfield Head Business for APAC Region Vimal Sumbly said: "Royal Enfield started with one store in Bangkok, which has been instrumental in helping us understand this market. We have an aggressive plan to expand our reach to about 15 standalone dealers and 25 authorized service centers by March 2020. The expanded reach will offer customers better accessibility and convenience in Bangkok and the Greater Bangkok area, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai."

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