Royal Enfield plans to set up assembly plants in Brazil, Columbia and Thailand over the next one year after having set up a plant in Argentina as the company majorly expands its overseas business.

The company’s exports had dipped 11 per cent in September this year to 4,131 units against 4,642 units a year ago. However, company chief operating officer Lalit Malik said: “The dip is because of the pandemic. We sold 36,000 bikes in our international operations in 2019 and we should be going back to such numbers or more after the pandemic.”

The company exports the RE Himalaya and the 650 Twins to North and South America, Europe, Japan and Thailand. It, however, does not have a presence in Africa or China.

While the company is witnessing a resurgence of demand in domestic sales, particularly in the festive season, it does not hope to record any growth in 2020-21. “The first two months were a complete wipe out, we cannot recover that. I will be happy to reach the 2019 sales of about 7 lakh,” said Malik.

“All the pent up demand has been met. Now what we are seeing is a sustainable growth. But like every year, just after festive season comes a period of lean sales. That will happen this year too,” he added.

Maruti feat in Gujarat

Our Special correspondent

Maruti Suzuki on Thursday said its Hansalpur plant in Gujarat has rolled out 1 million units over a span of three years and nine months.

Of all three Maruti Suzuki plants in India, the Gujarat plant becomes the fastest to achieve this feat.

The Hansalpur plant began production in February 2017. The Gujarat plant is specifically involved in the production of the Baleno and the Swift.