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The Indian two-wheeler market presented a mixed scenario in April 2025, with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) maintaining steady sales while Hero MotoCorp faced significant challenges due to a planned production pause. HMSI reported total sales of 480,896 units for April 2025, comprising domestic sales of 422,931 units and exports of 57,965 units.
The company expanded its product lineup by introducing OBD2B compliant versions of the Dio 125 with advanced features and strengthened its premium motorcycle portfolio with the 2025 CB350, CB350 H’ness, and CB350RS featuring vibrant new colors. In line with global market actions, HMSI also announced a voluntary recall for certain CB300R motorcycles manufactured between 2018 and 2020.
HMSI continued its commitment to road safety by conducting awareness campaigns across 12 locations throughout India, including Navsari, Yol Cantt, Rajapalayam, Ranchi, Bengdubi, Gwalior, Pune, Varanasi, Anantapur, Tiruvallur, Jaipur, and New Delhi.
The company celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Traffic Training Park in Hyderabad, furthering its efforts toward promoting responsible road habits. On the corporate social responsibility front, Honda India Foundation held the valedictory ceremony of Project Buniyaad in Shillong, Meghalaya, which culminated with 30 beneficiaries receiving job letters, creating meaningful employment opportunities.
Hero MotoCorp, meanwhile, reported a substantial 43% decline in dispatches for April 2025, with total dispatches of 305,406 units compared to 533,585 units in April 2024. Despite this drop in dispatches, Hero MotoCorp recorded 5.05 lakh VAHAN registrations for its internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheelers in April 2025, demonstrating strong retail performance despite the wholesale decline.
The company’s electric mobility brand VIDA dispatched 7,116 units of the VIDA V2 electric scooter and recorded 6,123 EV registrations on VAHAN. The significant reduction in dispatches was primarily attributed to a planned operational pause implemented from April 17-19 at four manufacturing facilities – Dharuhera, Gurugram, Haridwar, and Neemrana.
The temporary production halt at Hero MotoCorp was conducted to facilitate supply chain alignment and conduct scheduled maintenance and infrastructure enhancements. The company assured stakeholders that “this pause will not impact our ability to meet retail demand across domestic and international markets” and that “any production deferment will be efficiently recovered in the following month.”
Production is expected to normalize in May 2025. Despite the production interruption, Hero MotoCorp has maintained a consistent month-on-month increase in retail market share throughout 2025, indicating that the company’s retail strength remains robust even as wholesale numbers fluctuated.
On the international front, Hero MotoCorp expanded its global presence in April by launching four new products in Sri Lanka – the Xoom 110, Hunk 160R 4V, Xtreme 125R, and HF Deluxe – working with its partner Abans Auto. The company plans to establish over 500 customer touchpoints across Sri Lanka by May 2025, ensuring comprehensive support for customers in that market. This expansion reinforces Hero MotoCorp’s commitment to growing its international footprint despite domestic production challenges.
The competitive landscape between the two major two-wheeler manufacturers has been evolving significantly over the past year. Hero MotoCorp’s market share declined to 28.84% during FY25 from 30.79% in FY24, while Honda’s market share improved to 25.37% from 23.36% during the same period.
This narrowing gap indicates intensifying competition in the Indian two-wheeler market. In February 2025, Honda reportedly outsold Hero in the domestic market for the first time, signaling a potential shift in market dynamics. Hero’s traditional strength in entry-level motorcycles has faced challenges due to inflationary pressures affecting its core customer base.
Looking ahead, both manufacturers are implementing strategic initiatives to strengthen their market positions. Honda continues to focus on expanding its premium motorcycle segment, investing in road safety programs, and enhancing its product lineup with new features and compliance updates.
Hero MotoCorp is working toward normalizing production in May 2025, continuing the expansion of its VIDA electric mobility brand, and developing global markets through partnerships and international launches. These strategies reflect both companies’ adaptations to changing market conditions and consumer preferences in the highly competitive Indian two-wheeler industry.
The performance of these two industry leaders in April 2025 presents a snapshot of the broader two-wheeler market in India, which continues to evolve in response to economic factors, changing consumer preferences, and the gradual shift toward electric mobility. While temporary production adjustments impacted Hero MotoCorp’s wholesale numbers, the strong retail performance suggests underlying demand remains resilient.
Honda’s steady performance indicates its growing acceptance across various segments of the market. As both companies navigate these challenges and opportunities, their strategies and results will continue to shape the trajectory of India’s two-wheeler industry.
This article first appeared on Autocar
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