Harley-Davidson, Inc.is moving forward with the launch of operations in India to assemble motorcycles for the Indian market from component kits supplied by its U.S. plants, the Company announced today. The Company expects the CKD (complete knock-down) assembly facility to be operational in the first half of 2011.
"We are building a strong foundation for our business in India, first by establishing a world-class dealer network, and now by commencing CKD assembly operations. It is important for us to continue to invest in strategies that make our products and experiences accessible to an increasingly broader set of customers across India," said Anoop Prakash, Managing Director for Harley-Davidson India.
To date, Harley-Davidson India has been importing completely assembled motorcycles from the Company’s U.S. final assembly plants. Once the CKD assembly facility in Haryana is operational, Harley-Davidson India will import CKD kits for select models, consisting of components produced by Harley-Davidson’s U.S. plants in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Missouri and by the company’s suppliers.
Employees at the Haryana facility will then assemble the components into finished motorcycles. Other models will continue to be imported as completely built motorcycles for now. India will be the second country in which Harley-Davidson has CKD assembly operations outside the U.S., after Brazil where the Company began assembly operations in 1999.
