Rise of Female Consumers in India’s Motorcycle Market

Women are not just for Cartier bracelets and three-carat diamonds, nor Prada and Christian Louboutins. They are increasingly becoming a huge part of the sport and automotive market. With Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Danica Patrick, and Maria Herrera thriving in their own fields, girls all around the world, no matter the age, have someone to look up to.

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It is becoming more apparent specifically in the Indian motorcycle market where it has “recently seen a significant rise in the number of women bikers and women biking clubs”, according to the Managing Director of Ducati India, Sergi Canovas.

Canovas told Times of India, “Women are actively participating in group rides while riding solo or with their partners and we have witnessed a rise in their participation at our Desmo Owners Club’s Sunday rides across India. These women riders are well informed about the accessories for customizing their rides, they treat riding gear as a high priority which signifies the growing awareness for safe motorcycling.”

“We have seen an increase in the number of inquiries and showroom visits by women riders for our motorcycles like the Scrambler, Monster 797 and even the 959 Panigale.”

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Indeed, gone are the days where women were subjected to mere housewives and caretakers. They are now making a marked difference in total sales volume whether their purchases are for themselves or for their significant others.

Marques in India are exerting more effort in tapping into the female demographic, a wise choice as women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing through a combination of buying power and influence. This means that even when a woman is not paying for something herself, she is often the influence or veto power behind someone else’s purchase.

“There is a lot of money in this segment” Vimal Sumbly, MD, of Triumph Motorcycles India chimed in. “In southern and western markets, women who are financially independent are buying high-end bikes and this customer segment currently comprises 8-10% per quarter for Triumph. Individual users are 5-6 percent while common usage is around 10 percent which is pretty healthy.”

Sumbly further explained that they are introducing a “special marketing and sales intiatives to cater to women customers”, including having a separate team to go to their homes and facilitate paper work or issue quicker loans.

With no indications of these trends slowing down, it’s becoming abundantly clear that women are an increasingly important part of the market. Though other OEMs from all over the world aspire to draw in more female customers, it seems the global industry should maybe take a page or two out of India’s playbook.