What is Honda's market share in the Indian two-wheeler market compared to its biggest rival?

Honda holds a 28 per cent market share in the Indian two-wheeler market. Hero MotoCorp is the market leader, with a 37 per cent share of the segment.

Automotive

India becomes Honda’s biggest 2 wheeler market

By Wei ZhangIndia

2 min readUpdated Jun 4, 2025Sep 5, 20162:31 AM

In this article (5)

Riding on a sustained double-digit growth in scooter volumes, Japanese auto major Honda has seen India emerge as its biggest two-wheeler market this financial year.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) recently overtook the company’s volumes from the Indonesian market.

Into the sixth year of the split with its Indian partner Hero, HMSI has sold 1.23 million units during the April-June quarter, 16 per cent more than the 1.06 million units sold in Indonesia.

The corresponding volumes for India and Indonesia last year was 1.01 million and 1.03 million units, respectively. With this increased volume, India now brings 29 per cent of Honda’s global two wheeler sales compared to 25 per cent a year ago.

In Indonesia, for instance, it commands 80 per cent share; the share in Vietnam is 70 per cent of the market.

“Considering the low two-wheeler penetration in India, we believe that it will continue to lead the global two-wheeler market, as new demand will continue to come from rural and semi-urban areas in the future. The road infrastructure is increasing rapidly while public transport is not able to meet daily commuting needs of millions,” said Y S Guleria, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, HMSI.

Honda is the second-biggest two-wheeler player in the Indian market.

It is also present in the passenger vehicle market, where it is the sixth-largest player and has a five per cent share.

In the two wheeler market, however, Honda enjoys a 28-per cent market share though Hero MotoCorp is the leader with a 37-per cent share. In the scooter segment, Honda sits on a strong 59-per cent share. It is this segment that is driving the company’s India volumes.

Scooters account for two-thirds of HMSI’s India sales, up significantly from 54 per cent a year ago. The scooter market has grown 24 per cent this year so far on a rising base, helped by double digit growth for last two consecutive years. Motorcycles, as a segment, did not do well for last two years due to weakness in rural markets on sub normal monsoon. That is set to change this year.

“The scooter market has grown 24 per cent this year so far on a rising base, helped by double digit growth for last two consecutive years.”

Improved sentiments in rural markets due to good rainfall and higher wages of the government employees will be positive growth triggers for the industry. Guleria said the Indian market has been showing constant growth in recent years while other big markets such as Indonesia and Brazil have been showing downtrend due to their economic slowdown.

HMSI saw a capacity addition in June this year with the opening of its dedicated scooter plant in Gujarat that added 1.2 million unit annual production capacity. HSMI aims to end this year with total sales of 5.4 million units, up 26 per cent from last year’s 4.28 million units. Honda globally is expected to sell 18 million units this year.

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Questions & Answers

How much of Honda's global two-wheeler sales does India now contribute?

India now accounts for 29 per cent of Honda's global two-wheeler sales. This is an increase from 25 per cent a year ago, reflecting the market's significant growth.

Which segment is primarily driving Honda's sales growth in India?

The scooter segment is the main driver of Honda's volumes in India. Scooters now make up two-thirds of HMSI’s India sales, a significant increase from 54 per cent last year.

What sales target has HMSI set for the current financial year?

HMSI aims to achieve total sales of 5.4 million units this year. This represents a 26 per cent increase from the 4.28 million units sold last year.

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