Hero Cycles, over the last 70 years of its existence, has been a part of every other household in the country. From six-year-olds to sixty-year-olds, in a big city or a rural village, all have had the experience of enjoying a bicycle. “For a 30-year-old in a rural area, it is all about daily livelihood. For a 60-year-old, it’s about independence,” Rohit Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer at Hero Cycles, tells us.
The Cycle Of Life
In the ‘70s and ‘80s when industrialisation began, there were a lot of factories and mega factories coming up causing a surge in demand for black cycles. Black cycles were the workhorse of a manufacturer’s offerings. They were used to carry loads and were functional and robust in performance.
From the ‘80s onwards, as the industry started to evolve and per capita income increased, people started to accept a better lifestyle with more progressive and fancy products. By the ‘90s, brands started to seep into society and slowly, cycles went from being a functional product to a lifestyle product. “Back in the day, when there were no smartphones, the only recreation people would get was in the form of friends and outdoor fun, with cycles as their partner in crime.”
Kids Meet Bikes
Many children in semi-urban areas have to cycle to school because of the distance that makes it difficult to cover on foot. When they don’t have a cycle, they tend to drop out of school. Recently, the phenomenon was documented in an article by the BBC called ‘India’s schoolgirls are leading a silent cycling revolution’. The article quotes that the most notable rise in cycling in India had occurred among rural girls – increasing more than two times from 4.5% in 2007 to 11% in 2017, and the percentage of all students cycling to school rose from 6.6% in 2007 to 11.2% in 2017.
Moving to urban cities, cycles are still an integral part of growing up. Most parents are concerned about their children who spend too much time indoors. There’s a lack of vitamin D, physical activity and social skills. Additionally, cycling helps build confidence and motor skills. “In a nutshell, we’re proud of how we’ve managed to straddle different cohorts. The humble cycle seems to kind of keep reinventing itself.”
Wheeling Through Borders
Hero Cycles dominate the length and breadth of the country with very strong markets in the East and South. Each region has a peculiar preference, with the East being big on roadsters or heavy-duty bikes, Kerala doing well in the girls’ cycles market and Bangalore big with premium models. “I think the gender bias blurs out in a state like Kerala. Literacy levels are high and girls use cycles for many reasons, including chores.”
Additionally, it is the large states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka that pull in the numbers. The cycle maker has over 2,500 authorised dealer points in the country and about 12,000 to 14,000 sub-dealers. Currently, the brand is going through a phase of transformation, exploring new-age distribution strategies. “Online has been a market we have recently tapped into that has massive potential. We’ve barely scratched the surface online.” Currently, their online-to-offline sales are at a ratio of 30:70.
Will Slowing It Down Be The Next Step?
The last 70 years have all been about using technology to move faster. And while the automotive segment has made great strides, cities are bursting at the seams. There has been an insatiable greed for more automobiles. Today, the world is realising that cities function best when they are decongested. In certain places in the world, cyclists are well respected. The government invests in infrastructure like safety corridors for bicyclists. On the contrary, in the metros of India, the infrastructure doesn’t support cyclists as much.
“What goes around comes around.” Cycles were a very special part of our lives many years ago. Now, they have been replaced by other fancy things like phones. But they will make their way back in a big way given their eco and health benefits. Hero Cycles is committed to making sure that sustainable mobility becomes a part of the social fabric very soon. The brand has tied up with state bodies to include cycling tracks in smart cities. They’ve also tied up with Niti Aayog to conduct Cyclothons and encourage people to come out and ride.
Today, as a brand with nearly 40% of the market share, Hero hopes to see cycling make a comeback in more ways than one. Life is dominated by screens, sedentary lifestyles and bad eating habits. And cycling is a sweet spot between the tough regime of going to the gym and doing nothing.
Giving Gen Internet E-Bikes
The brand has been pioneering in launching electric cycles in India, but they’re far from the revolution they envision. Sharma attributes it to the high cost of acquisition of electric cycles. “Culture change doesn’t happen overnight. Over the next decade when people realise that we’ve hit the bottom by abusing our cities and infrastructure, they will come back to basics.” Sharma believes that Gen Z and Gen Alphas who are growing up with gadgets will take to electric cycles like fish to water.
Selling The Joy Of Cycling
In their most recent campaign, the brand looked at the five villains of urban lifestyle – junk food, traffic, smartphones, distance and stress. In a nutshell, the campaign said: ‘Aapke life mein paanch villain hai. But cycle hero hai’.
“The inexplicable joy of cycling is what we stand for.” Sharma articulates it best when he talks about how a child feels the first time he sits on a cycle, pushes the pedal and feels the wind hitting his face. Or the independence a young girl experiences, using her cycle to do chores or go to school.
After 70 years of being in the business, Hero Cycles feels a social responsibility towards promoting cycling, regardless of which brand you end up buying from.
