Bajaj Auto unveils new bike 'V'; price up to Rs 70,000 likely

New Delhi: Bajaj Auto today unveiled a 150cc bike 'V', which contains metal from India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The commuter segment bike is expected to be priced between Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Sales of the bike would commence from March and the final pricing would be announced at that time. "The Bajaj V shall usher a new era in commuter motorcycling.

We believe the Indian customer buying a commuter motorcycle deserves something that is substantial, solid, and which moves with a sense of purpose," Bajaj Auto President (Motorcycle Business) Eric Vas told reporters here.

The V has been designed and built to be "invincible and will change the experience of commuter biking" much like the Pulsars changed sports biking, he added. Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said: "We will start with a capacity of 20,000 units month and should demand exceed that, there is no problem in enhancing the capacity further."

He added that the company would first like to focus on the domestic market for the sale of the new product. "We would first like to focus on the domestic market. The commuter segment is very strong here with market of over five lakh units. Some time down the line we might start exporting it as well," Bajaj said.

On pricing of V, he said: "It would be between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000. Most probably it would be closer to Rs 60,000 than Rs 70,000. We will announce the pricing details at the time when we start deliveries in March."

Bajaj Auto purchased the Vikrant metal and processed it to be a part of V motorcycle. INS Vikrant was commissioned as the first aircraft carrier of Indian Navy in 1961. After years of distinguished service, it was decommissioned in January 1997 and served as a museum till 2012.

In November 2014, the aircraft carrier was dismantled and sold as scrap metal."We are proud that lakhs of Indian citizens can now touch the metal of the legendary INS Vikrant," Vas said.