Future of cycle industry in India

R D Sharma

"In total, less than 8 per cent of the population in India possess bicycles as compared to 50-60% in Europe and America who are much advanced technologically, financially and in living standards."

"A bicycle user of these advanced countries feels proud of riding a bicycle whether for leisure, exercise, sports and he is entitled to priority treatment on the road from all automobile drivers."

"China is trying to take over African markets and trend of replacing roadster bikes to mountain is catching up very fast. This is definitely going to affect the Indian industry when the bicycle user in African countries will shift to upper end bikes which are supplied at much lower price from China as compared to roadster bicycles from India."

India is today, the second largest country in terms of population after China and the bicycle here is mainly considered a vehicle of the poor man. There may be a small segment of fancy bikes for urban youth but major share is taken by time tested sturdy roadsters and mainly for transportation and small time business. Although trend of fancy bicycles is slightly increasing but these are also used by the youngsters only in schools and colleges again who are in middle class category. In total, less than 8 per cent of the population in India possess bicycles as compared to 50-60% in Europe and America who are much advanced technologically, financially and in living standards.

A bicycle user of these advanced countries feels proud of riding a bicycle whether for leisure, exercise, sports and he is entitled to priority treatment on the road from all automobile drivers. Also there are special cycle tracks for bicycles along the road. Similarly in China 1/3rd area of all the roads is reserved for cyclists and on a working day the capital city of Beijing is a sea of bicycles.

Safari Group of Inds.

Indian manufacturers struck to producing roadster models only because of its demand in domestic market and cater to the markets in Africa and atleast where only the roadster bicycle is a popular model. Only 5-10 per cent of the production is that of so called upper end bicycle while in China which is the biggest producer of bicycles in the world major portion of the production is upper end and sophisticated bicycles. While majority of the markets in advanced countries for high segment bicycles is already captured by the Taiwanese manufacturers, China is trying to take over African markets and trend of replacing roadster bikes to mountain is catching up very fast. This is definitely going to affect the Indian industry when the bicycle user in African countries will shift to upper end bikes which are supplied at much lower price from China as compared to roadster bicycles from India.