Author: victor

Hero Cycles of India, which recently entered into the electric bicycle segment, has entered into a strategic alliance with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Japan for technology, manufacturing & marketing of Hero electric bicycle powered by Yamaha electric drive unit.

The announcement was done at Yamaha Motors headquarters in Iwata, Japan by Hero Motors Company Chairman & Managing Director Pankaj M Munjal, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. Executive General Manager SPV Business Unit Mitsuyoshi Sunakawa and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. General Manager Third Motor Vehicles Div. Yuji Tokunaga.

“The partnership has been formed with a forward-looking plan which includes the development of new e-mobility products jointly by Hero and Yamaha, with go-to-market sales, distribution & marketing support by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.”, says Munjal. The first product for India to roll out from this alliance would be a high-end E-MTB, which is the same segment that has seen the fastest growth in Europe in the last year.

The announcement comes in the wake of other initiatives recently announced by Hero Cycles, amongst which the “Cycle Valley” project which would serve as is a hub for the end-to-end supply chain of the bicycle industry. The Cycle Valley would be led by Hero Cycles as the anchor investor and will create an ecosystem of suppliers in joint ventures with global bicycle component makers.

Hero Cycles Ltd. is the flagship company of the Hero Motors Company group, and is the world’s largest integrated bicycle manufacturer by volume, manufacturing and selling more than 19000 bicycles every day. Firefox Bikes India, Avocet Sports UK and BSH Ventures Sri Lanka are the other bicycles companies from the Hero Motors Company.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd is a world-leading producer of motorcycles, marine products, power products and surface mounters. The company’s diverse business and a wide variety of products are built around its proprietary technologies focused on small engines, chassis & hull and electronic control. Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is one of the most diversified and comprehensive trading, investment and service enterprises in the world, with 136 offices in 66 countries as of October 2018.

More than 500 men, women and children from all walks of life, united by their love for cycling and fitness, came together to participate in a major Cycle Rally organized by Hero Cycles Ltd. on the occasion of the 7th India International Cycle, Fitness & Outdoor Sports Expo today.

The rally was flagged off by Mr. R. N. Dhoke, IPS Commissioner of Police, and Mr. Pankaj M Munjal, Chairman, Hero Motors Company (HMC), as they cycled with the enthusiastic participants. The event was aimed at promoting the use of the health and environment friendly two-wheelers among city residents.

“The need for adopting fitness regimens and healthy lifestyles has to be underlined and advocated today more than ever before. With lifestyle diseases emerging as a major health concern for India’s population, cycling is a simple yet effective way to keep oneself fit and healthy. I think greater efforts must be made to encourage people to take up cycling as a daily mode of transport. It will not only be a healthy but also an environment friendly choice,” said Mr. Dhoke.

Excitement was palpable among the fitness-loving participants who despite a hot and humid weather took part with full enthusiasm and joy in the rally at Punjab Agricultural University, and covered a distance of 5 km up to the concluding point, the MBD mall.

“I have always found cycling a highly effective workout that strengthens the body while relaxing the mind. For people who find maintaining the rigorous gym regimens difficult, adopting cycling as a mode of transport for small distances is a very healthy alternative. It is imperative to attract the youth towards this mode of transport. At Hero Cycles Ltd., we produce a wide range of cycles to suit the needs of all kinds of users including the fitness enthusiasts. We hope this rally will help encourage city residents to take up cycling more frequently,” said Mr. Munjal.

The Cycle Rally marked the opening of the three-day Expo where participants from across the globe are showcasing the latest in bicycle technology. Mr. Pankaj M. Munjal and Mr. R. N. Dhoke flagged of the cycles’ exhibition at the Expo, where Hero Cycles Ltd. is showcasing its latest range of products as well as technological innovation initiated by its passionate team of designers at the Hero Global Design Centre.
From its mass consumption products, to premium bicycles to fancy two-wheelers that appeal to the young, Hero Cycles Ltd. showcased its impressive portfolio strength to an eager crowd of industry experts, business partners as well as common bicycle users.

One of the market leaders in the premium segment, the FireFox range of bikes attracted much attention among visitors. The Hero Sprint Bike Range that has created a strong base of young users also grabbed eyeballs, apart from the Octane and BSH bike ranges. Hero Cycles Ltd. has always believed in promoting good health and green commute. True to its commitment, the leading bike manufacturer also showcased its well-known HEXI public bike sharing system which advocates bicycle sharing as a means to improve last mile connectivity.
Hero Global Design Centre (HGD), the Manchester-based state-of-the-art facility of Hero Cycles Ltd., also participated under the Hero umbrella and turned out to be a major crowd-puller at the Expo. HGD showcased the cutting edge technological innovations in bicycle design ushered in by its global team of researchers. The high-tech design centre that started operations a year back has brought on-board some of the best international designing brains with an objective of developing next generation bicycle design and technology. The centre is today at the heart of the innovation revolution that is propelling the Indian bicycle giant into the role of a major global force.

In a major move to consolidate and power its continued surge in the premium and performance bicycle category in India and Europe, Hero Cycles Ltd is sprucing up its manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka.

Acquired over a year ago, this modern state-of-the-art plant has been the iron horse of growth for Hero’s recent and rapid rise in the premium category in India and Europe.
Designed and led by a feisty team, this facility is the manufacturing hub for the world leading range of products which are redefining Hero Cycle Ltd.’s credence and imagery as a world class cycle manufacturer in the domestic and international markets.

The product range developed in Sri Lanka and understandably so is now also being brought into the Indian markets as well which as we all know is going through a transformation of sorts with the awareness and expectation of having a world class range in the plum MTB segment. Leading from the fore is the Sprint Range of Bicycles which has been spearheading the premium, MTB segment numbers in India. The other range which includes the likes of Coyote, Viking, Riddick, Denovo are all very popular and strong brands which are the mainstay of Hero’s recent success in Europe.
What has also proved to be an added advantage is that the market in India primarily in Western and Southern regions are best logistically serviced from Sri Lanka factory, and to add to this Hero’s world class design centre in Manchester, Hero Global Design Centre helps create the world’s best and latest designs, coupled with the best premium components from Spur (In House Hero Brand) creating an ecosystem which continues to fuel and feed both international and domestic demands.

“At Hero Cycle Ltd., we truly believe in unlocking the potential of any business opportunity and the acquisition of BSH has been an ocean of opportunity. With the Indian Market, particularly the South, graduating to higher value vehicles and GSP+ benefit, we expect a substantial demand shift to Sri Lanka. Keeping the perennial demand of both the domestic and international markets, we plan to further strengthen this facility and more than double its output from 250,000 bicycles to 500,000 plus capacity by 2018.”, opined Pankaj M Munjal – Chairman, Hero Motors Company (HMC).

Interestingly, Hero Cycles Ltd. has been aggressively driving growth by clocking a robust 23% growth in the Indian market. Hero Cycles Ltd had posted turnover of Rs 3000 crores during the financial year 2016-17 with a production of 5.5 million cycles. With its entry in the European market and acquisition of Firefox in India and Avocet Sports in UK, Hero Cycles Ltd. aims to grow toRs 8000 crore by 2020. BSH too is keeping up the pace, by growing 60% YOY. The projection for the coming year is a 100% increase.

Hero Cycles, world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, today celebrated its Founders Day at its Hero Cycles premises on GT Road Ludhiana with grandeur and nostalgia. The chief Guest of the event was Shri Etanimura, Managing Director of Munjal Kiriu Industries Privet Limited. The event was also attended by other guests and bureaucrats of Punjab. On the occasion, the entire Munjal family paid rich tribute to the company’s founder Shri O P Munjal with love and respect. Various guests at the event garlanded the photo of Shri O P Munjal and remembered his contribution in making the Hero Cycles what it is today.
The third generation of the Munjal Family was present at the event. Speaking at the event, Shri Pankaj Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director, Hero Cycles, said “Hero Cycles Founder Shri O P Munjal had a vision which has been translated into success. From a humble start in 1956, Hero Cycles has come a long way and become the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. And all credit goes to Shri O P Munjal. We will continue to live and implement the vision he had and walk the path that he wanted us to walk and be continually guided by the core philosophy of our business which he had laid down.” Shri O P Munjal had started cycle parts trading and then parts manufacturing in Punjab about six decades ago. Today Hero Cycles today has a Global Design Centre in the UK and exports to many countries in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Hero Cycles, the world’s leadingbicycle manufacturer pedalled strongly against an overall industry slowdown and delivered a thumping statement of assertion with sales of 4.24 lac units in the month of July. This impliesan 18% month on month growth in sales and a phenomenal 30% year over year by the Ludhiana and London based cycle giant as compared to all other cycle manufacturers in India. Most interestingly this surge in market share gain was fuelled by a host of new products which have been Hero’s story of success in recent times. In the domestic mix the rapidly growing ‘ Sprint’ brand, coupled with the newly launched
‘Jet Power’ have proven to be the drivers of significant growth and product differentiation in a category which is marred with minor product upgrades from most manufacturers. Both these product embody Hero’s commitment to constantly provide product upgradation and keep up with the ever changing demands of the consumer. While Sprint is clearly growing to be the choice of the new generation. Jet Power has very successfully created a sense of renewed rigour and excitement in the roadster segment with the product’s technological upgradation and highest ever and industry first safety standards. Another considerable contribution to this growth story has been the concerted growth and acceptance of the global products being designed and delivered through the state of the art facility Hero Global Design ( HGD) facility in Manchester. In terms of numbers, Exports have grown at 3X rate to 49K this month compared to last year. This again has been possible with timely deliveries and well-oiled manufacturing facility at Sri Lanka which has been instrumental in feeding the rapidly growing cycles demand globally. Speaking on this stellar performance CMD Hero cycles opined “This outstanding achievement has been our labour of love and only reinforces the spirit of Hero Cycles. We have been continuously striving to build a pipeline of superior products designed for today’s diverse set of customers and ensuring we deliver impeccably on product performance. We are streamlined to lead in the Indian cycle market with global products and also upgrade the existing bottom of the pyramid customers. While there has been an overall industry slowdown, we have believed in focussing on our strengths and the results are for all to see with us clocking 4.24lac units in the month of July. We are now focussed on transforming the category with the injection of technology and very soon would have products which would redefine the way India sees and rides a bicycle.” said Mr Pankaj Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director, Hero Cycles.

Hero Cycles is all set to usher in the Teej festival at O.P. Munjal Rakhbagh on 5th August, 2017. Teeyan is the Punjabi name for the festival of Teej which is among the most celebrated festivals all over India since times immemorial. Celebrated in the month of August by girls and women, the festivity continues for the entire month of Saavan. Punjab has a great tradition of this festival and in that the special Music, Dance (Giddha) and Folk Songs are enjoyed by the masses. But with rapid urbanisation, this festival has been slowly dying in urban Punjab. Today, Teej is considered mostly as a rural festival which is in need of a fresh resurgence.
It is noteworthy that O.P. Munjal Rakhbagh has been playing a pivotal role in bringing back the old culture of Punjab through myriad cultural activities for the people of Ludhiana. “These festivities were started and celebrated for the last two years and in that O.P. Munjal Rakhbagh proposes to make it a perpetual part of its mandate every year. The OP Munjal Rakhbagh Foundation has realized that the best way of inculcating the rural and ancient culture of Punjab among the people is through the cultural programmes organized by the local schools. This would showcase our lost traditions and make way for great bonding and fellow feeling across a wide spectrum of the people,” says Mr S.K. Rai, Vice Chairman, Hero Cycles. Going by the stupendous success of the last two years, the programme this year is being planned on a much larger scale as 32 Schools are participating in the cultural extravaganza. The programme would be displaying the culture of rural Punjab in full swing to revive the memories of urban Ludhianvies. Significant competitions at the Programme will include Mehandi Competition, Fancy Dress Competition, Teej Queen Contest, Folk Dance, Nukkad Natak and Battle of Band Competition and the like. With the Dr.Brijmohan Lall Munjal Rolling Trophy being instituted last year which was undoubtedly the major attraction at the 2016 Teej Festival, the award went to BCM Shastri Nagar School for its overall best performance in the cultural activities. This year, all eyes would be on Mahatma Satyanand Munjal Rolling Trophy which will be awarded to the overall best government school participating in the cultural programme. The other festivities at OP Munjal Rakhbagh during August 2017 will be Rakhi celebration on 8 August 2017, Independence Day Celebration by Ex Servicemen League, Ludhiana on 15 August 2017. All participants are welcome to join in the celebrations on 15th August, 2017. Free Train ride will be given to school children and senior citizens on this memorable occasion.

Hero Cycles kick-started at O P Munjal Rakhbagh a slew of grand festivities that are planned for August with the celebration of Teej Festival today. Thousands of Ludhianvies thronged O P Munjal Rakhbagh for the gala celebration which also saw active participation of children from 32 government and private schools in the city. Several important bureaucrats like the Mayor, Deputy Commissioner and police officers also participated in the celebration. Women of the city were especially excited about the Mehandi Competition, Fancy Dress Competition, Teej Queen Contest and participated in these competitions with unseen zeal and
enthusiasm. Other events planned on the occasion were Nukkad Natak and Battle of Band Competition and many others in which city folk not only participated but also made the event a memorable one. “We have been holding the Teej Festival at O P Munjal Rakhbagh for two years and this third year we decided to make it even bigger, given the enthusiasm and participation of citizens of Ludhiana. So added many more events and features this year and the turnout at the festival was overwhelming. This is the first event of August at O P Munhal Rakhbagh that we organized today. Upcoming activities for August are Rakhi celebration on 8 August 2017 and Independence Day Celebration by Ex Servicemen League- Ludhiana on 15 August 2017” Mr S.K. Rai, Vice Chairman, Hero Cycles.The much coveted Mahatma Satyanand Munjal Rolling Trophy, which was instituted this year, went to xxxxxxxxxx school for overall best performance in the cultutural activities at the Teej Festival. Last year, the Dr.Brijmohan Lall Munjal Rolling Trophy was bagged by BCM Shastri Nagar School for best performance in the competitions during Teej Festival. For the Independence Day celebrations planned at O P Munjal Rakhbagh later this month, various activities will be organised and free Toy Train ride will be given to school children and senior citizens on that day. Teeyan is the Punjabi name for the festival of Teej which is among the most celebrated festivals all over India since times immemorial. Celebrated in the month of August by girls and women, the festivity continues for the entire month of Saavan. Punjab has a great tradition of this festival and in that the special Music, Dance (Giddha) and Folk Songs are enjoyed by the masses. But with rapid urbanisation, this festival has been slowly dying in urban Punjab. Today, Teej is considered mostly as a rural festival which is in need of a fresh resurgence. It is noteworthy that O.P. Munjal Rakhbagh has been playing a pivotal role in bringing back the old culture of Punjab through myriad cultural activities for the people of Ludhiana. It has been organising various cultural events which not only contribute towards reviving all the historical and cultural values but also work towards building a national cohesiveness among the people.

A 17-year-old boy from Shimla is all set to enter the annals of biking history by becoming the youngest ever biker to compete in an international mountain biking event – at the adventure packed ‘Rumble in the Jungle MTB’ to be held in Sri Lanka next week.Supported by Hero Cycles in his journey, Akshit Gaur will hold the Indian flag high as the only India rider at the international biking event. His participation at the prestigious and challenging mountain biking race offers a reason to be proud of for sport lovers in India.Rumble in the Jungle is a Cross Country Marathon style 4-stage race covering a distance of close to 300 km to be covered over four days.

What makes this a really big challenge is the amount of climbing involved. Riders will climb an altitude of close to 8000 meters in four days over off road sections, mountain ranges and tea gardens of Sri Lanka. The school boy from Shimla, who has just cleared his class XII with flying colors, will be competing with some of the top international biking talent at the Sri Lanka event. Among the world’s veteran bikers participating include Canadian rider Cory Wallace, a three-time champion and former no 18 at World Championships; Japanese Yuki Ikeda; and Nepalese Ajay Pandit Chettri, among others. A graduate from St Edwards School, Shimla Akshit rides for the Hero Action Team, India’s first fully sponsored MTB team supported by Hero Cycles. At the event he will be riding his flagship UT ETX Bike – a full carbon bike weighing only 10 kgs and priced at 2.99 Lacs INR. UT Bikes is a premium bike brand from the house of Hero Cycles and is currently one of the meanest machines available in the market. Hero Cycles in association with the Himalayan Adventure Sports & Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA) runs a school program to spot and support talented and promising mountain bikers. Akshit was first spotted in the Hero HASTPA School programs in 2014 and has since then progressed into a top mountain biker, finishing as the winner in various races like Hero MTB Shimla (Winner student 2016, 2017 – 2nd and 5th overall respectively); winner MTB Nainital (student category, 3rd overall) and many other races. “For a 17 year old, it is much like a dream come true to be at the starting line of a race with riders like Cory Wallace. The prospect does make me a little nervous as this is my first international race. At the same time I am very confident about my training. I have followed a strict training regime which has given me the right shape and stamina for this race. I am also very confident about my new bike – the UT ETX. It’s a dream bike – very fast, and great at handling. This achievement has been possible with the help of HASTPA and Hero Cycles who have given a huge boost to young bikers in India by popularizing mountain biking and supporting it wholeheartedly. I am immensely thankful to my team manager Ashish Sood, Mohit Sir from HASTPA, Manish Rohtagi and Raman Awasthi from Hero Cycles for believing in me. I will give it my all,” said Akshit Gaur. “We are proud of young Akshit and we wish him all the best for the upcoming race. Our vision of promoting and supporting mountain biking in India is finally showing tangible results as our young riders gain experience and exposure to be able to compete with the best talent in the world. We will continue to support mountain biking and talented Indian riders through the Hero Action Team and initiatives like the Hero HASTPA School programs that aim to nurture the sport in India,” says Mr. Pankaj Munjal, Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Hero Cycles.“For us the dream is to nurture a future Olympian in the sport and we are fully committed to that cause. We spotted Akshit at the first school program and have tried our best to provide him a platform with the limited resources we have. He is one of the brightest cycling talents in India and we would continue to support him and other serious aspirants. Hero Cycles has shared this vision with us and we are blessed to have a partner like them,” said Mohit Sood – President HASTPA. Akshit has competed and won against riders much older and experience. Notwithstanding his age, he promises to present a strong challenge at the international race. He has been training in the foothills of the Himalayas around Shimla and Narkanda and spends close to 2-4 hours on the bike every day. His weekly training hours exceed 25. Akshit feels an experience of training in the Himalayas, which offer a great practicing field, has strengthened him for the challenge.

Top-notch bikers from across India and the globe are coming together yet again for the  Hero MTB Shimla, one of India’s most prestigious and highly anticipated mountain biking races that kicks off on April 15th. This year, for the first time in the history of Hero MTB Shimla, riders will be able to contend in a team of two category; besides previously existing categories which included open men solo, open women solo, student category, and masters solo. With the introduction of new category, Indian riders will get an exposure to riding in race formats followed by international races like BikeTransalp, demonstrating teamwork and other skills.
Set in a background that calls out to adventure lovers, mountain bikers, as well as nature lovers, this race will take the riders through some of the most pristine parts of the Shivalik Mountains, also known as the lesser Himalayas. What sets this year’s Hero MTB apart is not just the new hilly and adventurous track, but also participation of myriad of enthusiastic riders who are the role models for the sports-loving community audience, taking the most-anticipated mountain bike race of the year to new heights of glory altogether! Hero Cycles and Himalayan Adventure Sports & Tourism Promotion (HASTPA) today unveiled the roadmap of the 2-day marathon type MTB race covering a whopping 120 km and a total elevation gain of 2500-3500 m. The cross-country adventure race will take place along different types of tracks including off-road, broken tarmac, rocks, sands, mud, streams, tarmac, and moving along wildlife sanctuaries, Himalayan countryside, streams, rivulets, village backroads, beautiful meadows, and so on.At the opening ceremony of the 2-day adventure-packed extravaganza aimed to promote holistic adventure tourism in Himachal Pradesh, visible excitement was seen among the participants who pledged to take the love of mountain biking to the next level.“Mountain biking as a sport is gaining rapid popularity in India, and events like Hero MTB Shimla have played a vital role in popularizing this sport. It is one of the toughest sports in terms of the need for endurance and skill, and requires a lot of mental and physical strength as well as training. Hero Cycles’ association with mountain biking sport is not limited only to events such as MTB Shimla or MTB Himalayas; our association is more deep rooted in the fact that we are working at encouraging youngsters to take up the sports professionally by nurturing young talent, training and grooming them to participate in national and international cycling events. This reflects our commitment to contribute to the growth of this sport in India,” said Mr. Pankaj Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director, Hero Cycles Pvt. Ltd.“It is a proud moment for us to witness Mountain Biking and Hero MTB Shimla growing so much. This time we have introduced the City Championship to further foster the MTB culture in India. It gives riders an additional impetus to achieve more,” said Mohit Sood, President, HASTPA.The City Championship continues to be a much anticipated part of the event. Notably, the 6th edition of the race will offer more challenges and competition in various categories with professional bikers from cities like Gurgaon, Manali, Jaipur, Bangalore, and Chandigarh taking part. Last year Shimla was crowned at the champion city, and out of the 9 contenders, boys from Shimla claimed the trophy with Devender winning the open men solo and Akshit winning the student category.Hero MTB Shimla 2016 had established itself to become a hunt to handpick the best MTB city of India.The Hero-HASTPA Collaboration & the Hero Action Team Hero Cycles, the world’s largest integrated cycle manufacturer, partnered with HASTPA in 2014 to bring about a change in the mountain biking scenario in India. Hero MTB Himalaya and Hero MTB Shimla are the result of this collaboration. The Hero and HASTPA association has provided a platform for promoting and nurturing young talent in mountain biking with the establishment of school level programmes and mountain biking training academies. This partnership has also seen the rise of the Hero Action Team, India’s first professionally managed mountain biking team. The team has 8 riders – Ankush Arya (Captain), Gurman Reen, Sanchit Sood, Devendar Thakur, Sarah Appelt, Akshit Gaur, Akash Sherpa and Shiven Sharma. These young turks have been earning a reputation for themselves as the rising stars of India in the mountain biking world.

Route details for 6th Hero MTB Shimla 2017

Day-1 Route

Shimla – Sadhupul – Chail – Sadhupul

Day-2 Route

Sadhupul – Junaidghat – Koti – Chini Bungalow – Kufri – Shimla

Highest Point:

2650m at Chini Bungalow