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India’s electric two-wheeler market is entering a new phase. While subsidies and start-up buzz mainly drove early adoption, the recent shift in market leadership—from disruptors to legacy OEMs—is telling. With legacy automakers reclaiming dominance, Suzuki Motorcycle India sees this transitional moment as the perfect entry point.
According to Devashish Handa, Former Executive VP-sales and marketing who took charge as the Executive Officer- Business & Human Resource Development in April, the segment is beginning to mature. Suzuki’s entry with the Access EV is not late but well-timed.
“Scooter alone is seeing a penetration of between 15% and 16%. What is noteworthy is that even after the FAME regime ended and subsidies were halved, adoption has continued. It’s not growing, it’s not falling. That proves the demand is stabilising and becoming sustainable,” Handa told Autocar Professional on the sidelines of Bharat mobility show. e-Access, Suzuki’s first major electric model, is entering a market transitioning from incentive driven purchases to genuine consumer interest. “People are now buying EVs out of interest, not just because of subsidies,” Handa emphasized.
Handa highlighted a significant trend over the past year: Traditional automotive brands have started reclaiming dominance in EV sales. “If you see the trend over a year, who’s leading the EV growth has shrunk. More legacy brands have started leading the EV growth. This entire transformation has happened gradually…and it’s very clear now.”
Suzuki views this shift as indicative of evolving consumer preferences. “The customer is maturing. As the more trustworthy, legacy brands enter the market with more robust offerings, buyers are upgrading,” he explained.
The Replacement Cycle Starts
Another critical market dynamic highlighted by Handa is the initiation of the replacement cycle among early EV adopters, who now seek significantly improved products. “The first product replacement cycle is due. And the early adopters now want to upgrade into a significantly superior product,” he said.
Suzuki’s strategy centers around delivering quality, reliability, and long-term value rather than merely competing on price. “Now, it’s not about price. Now, I believe it is the product that is being chosen,” Handa noted. Addressing perceptions that Suzuki is late to enter the EV segment, Handa emphasized the company’s strategic intent. With demand becoming organic and sustainable, Suzuki is confident in the timing of its entry. “This is natural demand, not curated. And that gives us confidence that the time is right,” he stated.
Family Scooter is just the start. The Access scooter has been strongly accepted by family buyers, and hence, E-Access is Suzuki’s first alternative to cater to its large consumer base. Still, the company does believe that there are different categories of buyers in the market, and those will be catered to at a later date.
Autocar Professional learns Suzuki Motorcycle is actively exploring various electric two-wheeler options, with multiple models on the radar for introduction by the decade’s end. The Japanese two-wheeler maker is planning to bring in at least 4-5 EVs by the end of the decade, and it is exploring potential offerings that include an electric variant of the popular performance scooter, electric motorcycles, and innovative models like the EV Cross aimed at the gig economy segment.
Handa declined to share the specifics but confirmed that multiple models are being explored. “We’re studying multiple ideas, but the rollout will depend entirely on how the market develops,” Handa said.
Suzuki’s approach aligns closely with its global parent company’s strategy, emphasizing technological flexibility. Referencing Suzuki Motor Corporation President, Toshiro Suzuki’s comments, Handa stated, “Toshirosan also mentioned the multi-pathway approach in his explanation. It is a rapidly evolving landscape. Which technology will work and to what extent—that’s how it stands now. We are watching this space very closely. It may get tweaked a little.”
Strategic Urban Rollout
Though Suzuki has officially unveiled the e-Access, final strategic details, particularly volume and penetration targets, are still under review. “We’ve unveiled it, but there is still some time before we close on things like exact volume numbers and penetration targets,” said Handa.
Suzuki will employ a phased market introduction, prioritizing India’s top 30 urban markets due to existing demand and infrastructure availability. “EV penetration in scooters may be around 16%, but it’s heavily skewed towards the urban market. The bigger the city, the higher the penetration rate,” he added.
Production plans align closely with this phased rollout strategy. “As production gears up, the focus will be on establishing presence in those cities first, especially where charging infrastructure can be supported. After that, we’ll expand across the country,” Handa clarified. Suzuki anticipates penetration to reach about 25% by the decade’s end.
E-Access: Suzuki’s EV Leap
The Access EV unveiled at the Bharat Mobility Show is key to Suzuki Motorcycle’s global EV expansion, and India is a key manufacturing and export base. While primarily targeting India, the upcoming Suzuki e-Access scooter carries global aspirations. Given India’s robust demand, Suzuki intends first to gauge local market response before expanding internationally.
“India comes first,” Handa confirmed, acknowledging slower adoption rates in European and Japanese markets. “We’ll observe how Indian consumers respond to the e-Access and how the ownership experience shapes up before expanding globally.” Suzuki describes the e-Access as a ‘Made in India, for the world’ product, underscoring its ambition to contribute to domestic and global electrification trends actively.
Addressing Production Constraints
Suzuki Motorcycle reported its highest-ever annual sales of 12.56 lakh units for FY2024- 25, recording an 11% increase year-on-year. The Indian arm of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation saw domestic sales rise by 14% to reach 10.45 lakh units compared to the previous financial year.
The company continues to experience robust demand across its product lineup, notably scooters. Despite operating at peak production levels, Suzuki faces a supply shortfall of 15–20%. “We are falling short of retail demand every month by 15–20%,” Handa explained.
To resolve this, Suzuki is establishing a new manufacturing plant in Kharkhoda – Haryana, designed to add an initial 7 lakh units annually and with the potential for further expansion. Located next to Suzuki’s existing automobile facility, this plant will leverage an established vendor ecosystem. Suzuki recently refreshed its flagship Access scooter and confirmed plans to introduce two new internal combustion engine (ICE) models annually.
Exports and Global Strategy
Exports significantly contribute to Suzuki Motorcycle India’s success, constituting approximately 20% of its total volume this year, or around two lakh units. “We’re among the few Indian manufacturers exporting to developed countries, which sets us apart,” Handa highlighted. Suzuki’s planned Kharkhoda facility will further cement India’s role as its global small-displacement motorcycle hub.
“Our strategy is clear: expand production capacity first, then enhance our product lineup to match global demand,” Handa said. Suzuki aims to significantly double its volumes from FY23 by 2030 under its internal “3.0 strategy”. “We prefer to share targets only when we’re fully confident. Right now, we’re optimistic about the journey ahead,” Handa concluded.
This article first appeared on Autocar
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