[NiInJa]

Well, surprised to see so much cynicism about this. I was in a movie theater today and this Bajaj V ad was shown, a kid sitting in front of us immediately asked her dad what INS Vikrant was and why was it dismantled and soon her dad was flooded with questions which her dad answered with pride. A small act of a 'Private company' has triggered discussions of the Vikrant and I am happy that the discussions will continue and knowledge is passed on to next generations till the bike rusts. Thanks Bajaj for doing this, you just ensured the INS Vikrant is remembered once again when all of us are too busy with the freedom we enjoy because of her service (and many other machines).

I don't think Bajaj V ad or any advertisement which plays the patriotism card is wrong in what they do. To expect Bajaj to buy the whole ship and take up its maintenance is not financially viable as already explained by one member above. Bajaj has given a practical solution to an emotional problem.

[zee_bat]

Don't think its a publicity stunt or a cheap tactic, as rightly said in many previous posts, its better to pay tribute to such a historic piece of steel through such products rather than have it hang in some unacknowledged, unvalued location. The steel is being used by an Indian company that should make us all proud and hopeful of the Indian motorcycle scene in the coming years! I for one have high hopes for bajaj. Let's celebrate the patriotic gesture and let cynicism take the day off folks!

[shivrajvp]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Well, surprised to see so much cynicism about this.

I don't think Bajaj V ad or any advertisement which plays the patriotism card is wrong in what they do. To expect Bajaj to buy the whole ship and take up its maintenance is not financially viable as already explained by one member above. Bajaj has given a practical solution to an emotional problem.

I agree. Ask today's college goers and school children what is INS Vikrant and most of them may not be able to answer it. This gesture from Bajaj might atleast get people talking about INS Vikrant.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Sigh. When will people learn, NOT to insult such lovely ships, that once were, and will always be remembered as the nations pride.

Sad.

Mate, what else could be done once you decommission the ship?

Turn in to a memorial? Not possible in this case.

Any suggestions?

[PNTLovesNano]

Criticizing nationalism is a stylistic and an in thing which looks very cool. It also does not help how its supporters are also lame on many front.

The bike should have solid build quality. However, except Pulsar (and Platina for inconsequential reasons), there has not been another model/brand on which Bajaj has not pulled the plug. It would be welcome if the "V" series is a long term plan of Bajaj.

P.S.: On a very side note, Bajaj has silently brought back its long warrior Boxer CT under the guise of CT 100B at a price of mere Rs. 31,000/- ex-showroom. Seriously, why did you pull the plug on such a reliable workhouse 12 years ago

[flyboy747]

I can understand the cynicism, given the track record of our successive governments dealing with veterans matters or ex-servicemen's as we call them. I also don't think that the guardianship of patriotism is the responsibility of the government and that no "private" player has a role, as they might might make some money out of it. Its better that the great ship is remembered with pride as a motorcycle than meet an unrecognisable and unseen end as a pressure cooker.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Mate, what else could be done once you decommission the ship?

Turn in to a memorial? Not possible in this case.

I think a museum was tried without any success. Also, a maritime vessel will need a lot of work to keep rust at bay. So scrapping may have been the only realistic way.

[carwatcher]

People would hear only what they like to hear, so media, Ad agencies, filmmakers, etc. feed them that regularly.
It applies to learned and educated folks like us too.
So Bajaj is just Highlighting that point and nothing more.
Parallel comes to my mind was one bike that was launched with loud 'Hoodibaba Hoodibaba' Ads. I am sure most of the general public won't even remembering the name and engine capacity of the bikes but just that name Hoodibaba which was actually Caliber 115 cc.

[sgiitk]

Only pre Atomic Age (ie pre Almagadro, Hiroshima etc.) steel is a bit prized - zero nuclear contamination required for some very sensitive scientific work. This is even dredged out of oceans at times. As for the rest all are similar.

[phamilyman]

This is all excellent marketing - all sound and show. If they wanted to make a tribute - they should've bought the carrier at the auction and made it a floating museum. THAT is a tribute. This is pure and simple "mauke pe chauka" (seizing the moment) marketing by Bajaj.

[AlphaLamb]

I have been lucky enough to have taken a tour of the ship when it was docked in Bombay after it was decommissioned, truly a majestic ship.On a personal note, even I would have liked bajaj to have attempted to buy out the ship and turn it into a museum as a true tribute to this mighty warship.

But on a practical note, as has been highlighted by quite a few bhpians, preserving the ship would be an economic challenge, this is sort of highlighted by how even the navy or the government did not go forward with his idea.

So with what Bajaj is doing cannot be considered just a cheap gimmick, bajaj as a commercial entity has a responsibility to make decisions which make economic sense and as part of it, if it can provide a way to get people aware and get the upcoming generation talk about the mighty Vikrant I would consider it a good way to promote the ship by making a bike out of steel recycled from the ship

[Lalvaz]

Some people may feel that Bajaj is resorting to cheap publicity by trying to cash in on the Vikrant name, others might feel that its perfectly justified and that Bajaj is doing a great service to the country by recycling steel from the mighty Vikrant and keeping its memory alive. Either ways, its a futile discussion. Ultimately, the real test of the bike's success will be its performance. If Bajaj is hoping to just cash in on the Vikrant brand name, without coming out with a real product differentiator, then this is gonna be another dud. IF indeed Bajaj manages to marry the iconic Vikrant brand with a bike that excels in at least one parameter, like power, performance, fuel efficiency, reliability, even a bike which resists corrosion since its made of this super special steel, then it might sell in decent numbers. Ultimately the market wants to see "value" and that won't come from a brand name alone. The product has to deliver too.

Will be interesting to see what Bajaj has lined up with this bike and whether the market likes what they've tried or gives them a thumbs down.

[Skyline_GT]

Good marketing move from Bajaj. Even though the metal used in these bikes may not be in the same form as it was used from the Vikrant am sure this bike will find many takers simply due to the patriotic feel attached to it. The "Made from INS Vikrant" logo is a nice novelty touch.
Also would love to see a nice cafe racer from Bajaj. Hope they put in atleast a 150cc+ engine. Just hoping they don't plonk a cheap 100-110cc engines and sell it as a daily commuter bike.

[carwatcher]

Couldn't agree more. We had example of Tendulkar's autographed Palios which failed to sell due to various reasons and were disposed off at massive discount.
At the same time until the specs are yet to be announced, all we can discuss is the marketing ploy by Bajaj.

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Some people may feel that Bajaj is resorting to cheap publicity by trying to cash in on the Vikrant name...

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

Couldn't agree more. We had example of Tendulkar's autographed Palios which failed to sell due to various reasons and were disposed off at massive discount.
At the same time until the specs are yet to be announced, all we can discuss is the marketing ploy by Bajaj.

A commuter segment bike from Bajaj? V or otherwise. Of course it will sell.
As for the fiat, until they get their house in order, even god's autograph could not have helped them at that point.