ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Rahul Kumar Sett, Course Instructor, Marketing
Management-I for his able guidance, continuous support and co-operation throughout our
project.

We would also like to thank Mr. Pankaj Dubey, National Business Head, India Yamaha
Motors Pvt limited for giving his precious time and priceless insight into the company’s
perspective with regards to V-Max launch and strategies for promotion.

A special thanks for all those who participated in the survey and provided us with their
valuable responses.

Group 1

September09, 2010
 TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW WITH BUSINESS HEAD OF YAMAHA

In order to substantiate our findings from the analysis, we conducted a short telephonic interview with
Mr. Pankaj Dubey, National Business Head, India Yamaha Motors Pvt limited. The interview was
taken on September 6, 2010 at 7.45 P.M. by Nitesh Gupta. The interview lasted for about 25 minutes.
Following are some of the insights gained on the topic from the conversation:

1. Company goal behind the product launch was to attract the customers, caught by the curiosity
arisen by the price tag of the product, to the showrooms and thus gain a readymade target
market for the company’s sports bike line including FZ, R15 and Fazer, in the price range of
Rs.80000 to Rs. 90000. The Rs. 20 Lakh tag was not a price but promotion feature for the
company.
2. Yamaha’s Japanese version bikes are primary for racing. The company now wants to regain
its lost market share in India by positioning the company as a youth oriented and make the
Indian market believe the competency of Yamaha in racing bikes segment.
3. V-Max was launched in September 2009. Since then the company has sold a total of 30 units
in the market with an average of 2 units/-month.
4. According to the company, apart from being the customer attracter, the price covers the
massive import duty which the company needs to pay to the Indian Government for importing
the bike to the country. The interviewee refused to provide official cost figures for the bike.
5. Unlike as for its other products, Yamaha is making V-Max available in its showroom outlets.
However, a desired customer will have to place an order directly with the company and the
dealer acts only as a display outlet.
6. As per the company, a potential rise in the size of the racing bike segment is foreseen and V-
Max will help leverage the company such a potential by directing the customers to the
companies racing bike. Yamaha aspires to become the market leader of the Indian Tow-
Wheeler market segment and the already increasing sales of Yamaha products is acting as a
positive reinforce.
7. The company’s promotional strategy for V-Max is celebrity endorsement and online
campaign in form of official blog. John Abraham as is the brand ambassador for the product
and an estimate figure of Rs. 6 crore has been spent on the promotion of the bike.
8. Harley Davidson has launched Sportster 1200 in the premium motorbike market in India
under a price tag of Rs. 9 Lakh. However, Yamaha does not see the product as direct
competition primarily because both the products i.e. V-MAX and Sportster 1200 target
diverse markets.