TVS Motor Company: Expansion in Europe and new challenges following the Norton acquisition

According to Babu Rengarajan, Senior Vice President of TVS Research and Development, one focus is on a broader product range for Europe, particularly for markets such as Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. Rengarajan emphasizes that further models are to follow in the coming years to expand the range.

From a traditional Indian company to a global manufacturer

Although TVS has only been producing motorized two-wheelers since 1979, the company’s history dates back to 1911. Today, the company is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world and, according to its own figures, has a production capacity of 4.95 million units per year. This makes TVS currently the fourth-largest motorcycle manufacturer worldwide. The Apache series is already available in 75 countries, while the electric IQube scooter has sold around 4.5 million units.

TVS relies heavily on in-house development: engines are designed and produced in-house. The company also invests continuously in electric mobility and intends to further expand this area.

TVS and Norton: collaboration and knowledge transfer

TVS has not yet established its own brand presence in the United Kingdom, but is known there as the production partner for the BMW G310 series. The company is also working on BMW’s new 450 twin platform, which is scheduled to be launched as the F450GS in 2026.

A significant step was the acquisition of the traditional British brand Norton Motorcycles in April 2020. The acquisition was made for £16 million (approx. €18.7 million or US$20 million), followed by further investments totaling £200 million (approx. €234 million or US$250 million) for a new plant in Solihull and the development of new models.

Technical development is being carried out in close collaboration: in addition to an in-house R&D team in the UK, specialists from India and the TVS main plant are working on new Norton models. According to the company, six new motorcycles are currently planned across three engine platforms, including a completely new V4 supersport machine to be unveiled at EICMA in Milan. All new models are expected to meet the current Euro5+ standards.

Challenges: European standards and sustainability

The development of large-volume motorcycles presents the TVS development team with new challenges – particularly with regard to increasingly stringent European emissions and material specifications. These not only complicate technical implementation, but also have an impact on production costs. Nevertheless, the goal is to achieve a balance between performance, sustainability, and competitiveness.

Rengarajan emphasizes that knowledge transfer within the group plays a crucial role: the development experience gained from building large-volume motorcycles is also being applied to other areas of TVS. The entire group is working closely together to leverage global synergies.

Motorsport as a driver of innovation

Since developing its first motorized two-wheeler in 1979, TVS has also been involved in motorsport. India’s first factory-supported racing team was founded in 1982. The resulting insights are directly incorporated into the further development of production vehicles.

In motorsport, the focus is not only on improving performance, but above all on reliability and fast development cycles. According to Rengarajan, racing has had a lasting impact on the culture of innovation at TVS. In Asia, the brand also competes in its own single-make championship as part of the Asia Road Racing Championship, where international riders compete on specially prepared Apache 310 machines.