Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025: Suzuki Motorcycle India, which introduced its first electric scooter at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, says that it is not too late to enter this market. The company said that the electric scooter segment has now reached the right stage of maturity, with customers giving more priority to safety, reliability and performance.
About 11.48 lakh electric scooters were sold in India in the year 2024, which is an impressive growth of 33.48 percent on an annual basis. According to FADA data, Ola Electric, TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto, Ather Energy and Hero MotoCorp were the top-5 companies in the electric scooter segment in 2024.
Deva Shish Handa, executive vice president (sales, marketing and after sales), Suzuki Motorcycle India, told Business Standard that currently, customers give priority to battery life, ride quality and safety standards while buying an electric scooter.
When asked whether Suzuki had delayed entering the electric scooter market, he said, ‘We have a slightly different view on this matter. If you look at the data, especially this year, we have seen a distinct change in the market. You have more legacy brands leading the way in EV (electric vehicle development) now than before. Therefore, as most of the old companies have entered the market, consumers have started changing their preferences. This shows that buyer attitudes are now maturing towards safety, reliability and performance. From this perspective, as the market is maturing, we are entering at the right time.
He also talked about other aspects of this issue. He said, ‘The initial demand for electric scooters was boosted by the subsidy under the FAME scheme of the central government. Even after consumer subsidies have been halved this year, the penetration level (share of electric scooters in total scooter sales) is more or less the same and sales continue to grow. There is now enough evidence that the demand is not increasing because of subsidies, but because of the preference of customers to ride electric scooters. Now there is a stronger trend. This is the right time to bring better value products for people like us.
Handa, however, clarified that India’s efforts towards decarbonisation will require a multi-pronged approach. “That is why, along with e-Access, we have also launched our first mass-produced Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 flex fuel vehicle. This motorcycle can run on ethanol concentration up to 85 percent, while the rest will be petrol.
He said that sales of Gixxer SF 250 flex fuel will be prioritized in markets like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka, where ethanol is already available.