HISTORY OF HERO HONDA

The success of the Hero Group lies in the determination and foresight of the Munjal brothers, who shared their vision with their workers and led the Group to a position where its name has become synonymous with top-quality two wheelers.

The flame kindled by the Munjal brothers in 1956 with the flagship company Hero Cycles; Mr. Satyanand Munjal, Mr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal and Mr. O. P. Munjal continue to carry the torch and are actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the Hero Group.

The saga is being continued with the same zeal by the second and third generations of the family and by the large working force of the Hero Group. The spirit of enterprise which dominates the progress of the Group is characteristic of the land where it all began - the City of Ludhiana, in Punjab - home to some of lndia's finest workers and entrepreneurs.

The Hero Group is a thriving example of three generations of a family working and striving together to ensure quality, satisfaction and extensive growth.

Milestones

Hero's success saga contains an element of spirit and enterprise; of achievement through grit and determination, coupled with vision and meticulous planning.

1956 Hero Cycles Limited is established.

1961 Rockman Cycles Industries Limited established, which is today the largest manufacturer of bicycle chains and hubs.

1963 It pioneered bicycle exports from India - a foray into the international market.

1971 Highway Cycles was set up to meet the demands of Hero Cycles. It is today the largest manufacturer of single speed and multi-speed freewheels.

1975 Hero Cycles Limited became the largest manufacturer of bicycles in India.

1978 Majestic Auto Limited was formed and the Hero Majestic Moped was introduced.

1981 Munjal Castings established.

1984 Hero Honda Motors Limited established in joint venture with Honda Motors of Japan, to manufacture motorcycles.

1985 Munjal Showa Limited established to manufacture shock absorbers and struts and is today among the top two shock absorber manufacturing companies in India.

1985 The 100 cc Hero Honda Motorcycle arrived and by 1988 was the No. 1 among all motorcycles in India.

1986 Hero Cycles Limited entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest bicycle manufacturer in the World.

1987 Hero Motors, a division of Majestic Auto Limited set up in collaboration with Steyr Daimler Puch of Austria.

1987 Gujarat Cycles Limited, now known as Munjal Auto Industries Limited was established to manufacture and export state-of-the-art bicycles and allied products in its fully automated plant at Waghodia.

1987 Sunbeam Auto Limited, earlier a unit of Highway Cycles Limited, established as an ancillary to Hero Honda. It is the largest die casting plant in India.

1988 Introduced "Hero Puch" from Hero Motors Limited. This revolutionary machine immediately set new records of petrol efficiency and usable power in 50 - 65 cc machines.

1990 Hero Cold Rolling Division established and is one of the most modern steel cold rolling plants.

1991 Hero Honda receives National Productivity Council's Award.

1991 Hero Honda receives the Economic Times - Harvard Business School Association Award against 200 contenders.

1992 Munjal Showa Limited receives National Safety Award.

1993 Hero Exports established as the International Trading Division for Group and non-Group products.

1993 Hero Motors becomes Indias largest exporter of two wheelers

1995 Hero Corporate Services Limited as the service segment for the Hero Group Companies, ancillaries, suppliers, dealers and other associates.

1996 - Hero Winner, a large-wheeled scooter was introduced by Hero Motors Limited with a choice of 50 cc and 75 cc engines.

1996 Munjal Showa Limited receives British Council's National Safety Award.

1998 - Hero Briggs and Stratton Auto Private Limited was set up to produce 4-stroke two-wheeler engines in various cubic capacities.

1998 Munjal Auto Components established to manufacture gear shafts and gear blanks for motorcycles.

2000 The Hero Group diversifies into IT and IT enabled services through its service segment - Hero Corporate Services Limited.

2000-2001

Hero Honda emerges as the market leader in motorcycles with sales of over a million motorcycles and a strong market share of 47%.

2001 Hero Global Design established to offer engineering services in CAD/CAM/CAE related to New Product Development, Design, Engineering and Manufacturing.

2002 Hero Cycles ties up with National Bicycle Industries, part of Matsushita Group to manufacture high-end bicycles.

2002 Fastener World Established.

2002 Easy Bill Established to offer utility bill collection & retail services.

2003 Tie up with Livebridge Inc., USA.

2004 Tie up with Bombardier - Rotax GmbH for scooter engines.

2004 Tie up with Aprilia Scooters, Italy.

2004 Hero Honda continues as the World's largest manufacturer of two-wheelers with annual sales volume of 2.07 million motorcycles and a market share of 48%.

2004Retail Insurance business established.

2004HeroITES, a division of HeroCorporate Service Limited hived off as a division of new company Hero Management Service Limited.

2005HeroITES strengthens its relationship with ACS,USA,USD 5.0 billion market cap and Fortune 500 company.

2006Hero Honda enters the scooter segment, launches

100cc "Pleasure"

2006 Hero Honda crosses a unit sales threshold of 3.0 million motorcycles

2006Hero Group celebrates Golden Jubilee year since inception.It was commemorated by sales of over 15 million motorcycles & over 100 million bicycles.

FILL IT. SHUT IT. FORGET IT 

The joint venture between India's Hero Group and Honda Motor Company, Japan

has not only created the world's single largest two wheeler company but also one

of the most successful joint ventures worldwide.

During the 80s, Hero Honda became the first company in India to prove that it was

possible to drive a vehicle without polluting the roads. The company introduced

new generation motorcycles that set industry benchmarks for fuel thrift and low

emission. A legendary 'Fill it - Shut it - Forget it' campaign captured the

imagination of commuters across India, and Hero Honda sold millions of bikes

purely on the commitment of increased mileage.

Over 20 million Hero Honda two wheelers tread Indian roads today. These are

almost as many as the number of people in Finland, Ireland and Sweden put

together!

Hero Honda has consistently grown at double digits since inception; and today,

every second motorcycle sold in the country is a Hero Honda. Every 30 seconds,

someone in India buys Hero Honda's top -selling motorcycle – Splendor. This

festive season, the company sold half a million two wheelers in a single month—a

feat unparalleled in global automotive history.

Hero Honda bikes currently roll out from its three globally benchmarked

manufacturing facilities. Two of these are based at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in

Haryana and the third state of the art manufacturing facility was inaugurated at

Haridwar, Uttrakhand in April this year. These plants together are capable of

producing out 4.4 million units per year.

Hero Honda's extensive sales and service network now spans over 3000 customer

touch points. These comprise a mix of dealerships, service and spare points, spare

parts stockiest and authorized representatives of dealers located across different

geographies.

Hero Honda values its relationship with customers. Its unique CRM initiative -

Hero Honda Passport Program, one of the largest programs of this kind in the

world, has over 3 million members on its roster. The program has not only helped

Hero Honda understand its customers and deliver value at different price points,

but has also created a loyal community of brand ambassadors.

Having reached an unassailable pole position in the Indian two wheeler market,

Hero Honda is constantly working towards consolidating its position in the market

place. The company believes that changing demographic profile of India,

increasing urbanization and the empowerment of rural India will add millions of

new families to the economic mainstream. This would provide the growth ballast

that would sustain Hero Honda in the years to come. As Brijmohan Lall Munjal,

the Chairman, Hero Honda Motors succinctly points out, "We pioneered India's

motorcycle industry, and it's our responsibility now to take the industry to the

next level. We'll do all it takes to reach there.''

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