Dawn of the gear less scooters in India - Reflection of changing society

With liberalization at helm in 1991, the dream of people owning a vehicle without any hassle was fulfilled.

With rise of middle class the demand for vehicles specially 2 wheeler rose at an astronomical level. 

The availability of motor cycle on almost every household of India which has an earning source is a testimonial of the evolution of Indian automobile industry with time & penetration deeper into rural market.

The likes of Hero Honda Splendour became the symbol of Indian growth story.

Now it has been found that two wheelers are not only a reflection of economic growth but social changes as well.

Consider this “One in every 4 two wheeler isa scooter”.  

And we thought that era of scooter was over after Bajaj discounted.

But this all changed when Honda decided to launch its gear less scooter Activa in year 2000.

  It changed the definition of a scooter & altered the perception of Indian consumer.

Then TVS & Hero Honda followed suit with their own launches & remember the 2006 famous ad “Why should boys have all the fun”.

    

 It was the beginning of new era in which companies understood the importance of female buyers & gear less scooters.

But with rise of education we see that many women are now entering work space as well as becoming independent in terms of lifestyle.

Which has made them less dependent on others and usually a male in the family.

One of the major obstacles in being independent is mobility- and along came the gearless scooters.

Usually the two wheeler market was dominated by motor cycles for two decades since 1991 but now they stand challenged.

Having understood the importance of gearless scooters now every company has launched their own product.

July 2014 was a unique month because for the first time the sales of a gearless scooter exceed that of the motorcycle. Honda Activa clocked more sales than the usual toppers Hero Splendor & other famous bike brands.

Likes of Honda Activa & TVS Scooty are marking their own bench marks in terms of sales & popularity.

Now Hero has tried to pitch its newest offering Maestro as scooter for boys breaking from past where gender norms were strictly adhered to.

The growth of these are not just because of independent woman but also modern day change in mind set of Indian middle class.

The gearless scooter can be utilized by every family member unlike the earlier norm where the motorcycle was purchased for the male earning member of the family.

Now, leaving the numbers aside, there is one thing that is clearly reflected in the marketing strategies & designs of the companies.

Over a period of time companies used to focus on features such as mileage & features of the bike as well how bikes can be used to attract females which are usually called a stereotype ad campaign.

Now since there is increasingly breaking of stereotypes in our society with women getting more say as well as becoming more independent the nature of ad campaigns is also changing.

    

Even now bike campaigns are increasingly showing female riders. 

            

So now companies have started to realize and are increasingly focus on not only the convenience but also various features like extra space for luggage below the seat.

Now with more & more people embracing the gear less scooters the companies are now want to raise awareness about the usefulness & importance of the product by creating campaigns which expose how these scooters get step motherly treatment by car & bike lovers.

This has led to totally new era of advertising where companies now realize the importance of equality.

While the motorcycle still remains the primary preference in rural, urban & small towns, the rise of gear less scooters is mostly attributed to upper SEC classes in Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities where the decision of vehicle is as per convenience of entire family as well as women being independent.

All companies are now betting on it.

Therefore we are witnessing a new trend which is not just mere change in statistics but reflects the changes prevailing in society today.