Kawasaki India mulling local assembly of engines

Kawasaki is reportedly considering starting local assembly of some of its engines in India. This move is expected to bring down the final price of the bikes and thus boost the company's sales figures.

The Japanese bike manufacturer is currently evaluating the possibility and feasibility of locally assembling its 300cc and 650cc engines. While the former powers the Ninja 300, the 650cc unit is found in the Ninja 650, Versys 650 and the Z650. These models form the majority of Kawasaki's sales in India.

Reports suggest that the 300cc and 650cc bikes from Kawasaki currently have a localisation rate of around 25-30 percent. Meanwhile, the Z250, which is the manufacturer's entry-level naked street fighter, has up to 40 percent localisation.

Kawasaki is attempting to increase the level of localisation of its middleweight bikes in order to compete with other manufacturers like Bajaj, KTM, Yamaha and Honda, who already have heavily localised products in this segment.

Source: Autocar India