Hero MotoCorp sets up dedicated vertical for Harley-Davidson business

New Delhi [India], February 3 : Hero MotoCorp said on Wednesday it has set up a separate vertical to drive its new business of Harley-Davidson products and merchandise distribution in India.
Global automotive expert Ravi Avalur has been appointed as the Business Unit Head of new vertical. He will report to Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp.
Avalur has joined Hero MotoCorp from engines and engine components manufacturer Cooper where he was the Head of Strategy and International Business. Prior to Cooper, he was the Managing Director at Ducati India.
The team in the new business unit also includes four executives from Harley-Davidson's erstwhile India operations, bringing in years of competencies in the areas of sales, marketing, customer experiences, service and logistics.
The company has also started wholesale dispatches of Harley-Davidson products to the dealers from January 18. Meanwhile, Hero MotoCorp has on-boarded 11 existing Harley-Davidson dealers in key geographies across the country.
In September last year, Harley-Davidson Motor Company decided to exit India after 11 years of operations. It discontinued sales and production operations in the country as part of a global restructuring plan.
Next month, Hero MotoCorp -- the world's largest producer of motorcycles and scooters -- announced a distribution agreement with Harley-Davidson for the Indian market.