Triumph's Bangalore showroom spotted

The erstwhile Cash Pharmacy heritage building in Bangalore's residency road has now been transformed into a modern building of glass and steel. The redevelopment of this building has liberated more rental space and one such space used to play host to a Mitsubishi dealer. With Mitsubishi well and truly in the pits when it comes to operating in the Indian market, the space originally occupied by a Mitsubishi dealer has been snagged by Triumph, a British motorcycle maker that will begin selling its motorcycles in India by the end of this month. 

The Bangalore Triumph dealership is the first among many such dealerships that the British brand will inaugurate in India. After Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Pune are the other locations that are likely to see Triumph dealerships being inaugurated. The British motorcycle maker, which first showcased its motorcycle range for India at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo, has taken nearly two years to launch these motorcycles. Motorcycle prices, which were announced at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo, are likely to be revised upwards due to changes in CKD import duties. 

The first crop of completely knocked down (CKD) kit assembled Triumph motorcycles will be built at a new assembly unit that the motorcycle maker has set up at Manesar, Haryana. The Bonneville, Street Triple 675, Daytona 675 and Speed Triple are the four motorcycles that are likely to be assembled through the CKD route. The Tiger 800 XC, Storm and Rocket III are likely to be imported through the completely built unit (CBU) route. Triumph's big plans for India include a greenfield manufacturing facility at Narsapura, off Bangalore.

The Narsapura facility, which is likely to begin motorcycle production by 2015, is said to be the global sourcing and manufacturing hub for Triumph's new 250 cc sportsbike. Eventually, CKD production could also shift to the Narsapura factory.