Honda eyes stronger hold on India’s motorcycle market with fresh expansion strategy

Honda has revealed its future plans for the motorcycle business, and India is going to play a massive role in the company’s global strategy. During its latest business briefing, the Japanese manufacturer spoke about increasing production, launching more premium motorcycles, expanding exports and continuing work on electric two-wheelers.

The company says the global motorcycle market is expected to grow from around 50 million units today to nearly 60 million units by 2030. Honda already holds a strong position globally, selling 22.1 million motorcycles in FY2026, which gives it roughly a 40 per cent share of the worldwide market.

India remains Honda’s biggest market

Honda confirmed that India is its largest motorcycle market globally. The company currently sells nearly 5.8 million motorcycles in the country every year and holds around 28 per cent market share.

According to the company, Indians are gradually moving away from basic 100cc motorcycles and are now showing more interest in 125cc and 160cc bikes.

Honda says it plans to respond to this shift by introducing more attractive products in these segments while also strengthening its sales and service network.

Production expansion planned

One of the biggest announcements from Honda was its plan to increase motorcycle production capacity in India. At present, Honda can produce around 6.25 million motorcycles annually in the country. By 2028, the company wants to raise that number to nearly 8 million units.

Honda also sees India as an important export hub. The company plans to export more India-made motorcycles to markets in Central and South America.

Honda says it will focus on increasing local sourcing, producing more parts in-house and simplifying manufacturing processes.

More premium motorcycles expected

Although Honda did not announce specific upcoming models, the company made it clear that it wants to strengthen its presence in the growing 125cc and 160cc segments.

This could mean more feature-loaded commuter motorcycles, sportier products and bikes aimed at younger buyers looking for a mix of practicality and fun.

Honda also highlighted technologies like Honda E-Clutch and Dual Clutch Transmission, which are designed to make motorcycles easier and more enjoyable to ride.

Honda is still working on EVs

Despite slower-than-expected growth in the electric two-wheeler market, Honda says it remains committed to EVs.

The company confirmed that it will continue developing electric motorcycles for India and is also building a dedicated factory for electric two-wheelers. Honda says it wants to introduce electric models that are better suited to Indian customer needs instead of rushing products to market. At the same time, the company says it will stay flexible depending on market demand and regulations.

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