Yamaha Motor India entered the scooter segment in India in September 2012 with its all new Yamaha RAY. The RAY which targets a niche customer base of young, urban women, has been designed and engineered to answer the needs of this growing class of young female customers who want a scooter that is stylishly designed, compact, easy to use and have a fresh new appeal. The company has developed & launched the Yamaha Female Riding Training Program for female customers who have a concern to ride a scooter or want to obtain a riding license. The company plans to conduct the YFRT programme in various cities across India for women who feel the need to be trained on riding a 2-wheeler.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jun Nakata, Director, Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt. Ltd. said, “Considering the traffic congestion, two-wheelers are perhaps the best option for commuting nowadays, especially amongst the younger crowd. South India in this regard has paved way for young girls in colleges and working professionals warming up to the idea of owning a scooter. Therefore, the best way to encourage them is by providing them quality training with strong and stable instructors. This training will therefore meet the need for a riding school for girls in India. Yamaha supports these young riders through “Yamaha Female Riding Training – YFRT” to be safe riders and less prone to accidents. YFRT is also a good platform to explain the features & benefits of our scooter Ray that we launched in September last year, the response for which has been very encouraging.”
“South India overall is a lucrative market for two-wheelers with considerable number of young girls and women taking to the wheels. The previous sessions of YFRT in Bangalore were well received; therefore we were prompted to bring yet another edition of YFRT to this city in this College.” Mr. Nakata further added.
After having successfully launched the Yamaha Female Riding Training (YFRT) programme in India this year the program has already covered Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Coimbatore and Mysore. The company now plans to take the programme forward to smaller towns and cities. Yamaha hopes to have a wider reach among female riders in such towns and cities where the two-wheeler market is considerably large and the need for spreading awareness about basic riding habits is necessary.
Post the RAY’s launch, the company has undertaken a number of activities in order to attract its target customers and influence sales. The company has expanded its dealer network and improved customer care quality for female customers by appointing more female staff at customer contact points and introducing female customer care program. Ms. Deepika Padukone’s association with Yamaha Ray as its brand ambassador has opened newer avenues for young girls across the nation with the first ever Miss RAY Contest being held in Hyderabad-a unique initiative to choose a local brand ambassador for Yamaha Ray. Apart from this, Yamaha Ray was also the associate sponsor for the 50th edition of Pond’s Femina Miss India, thus strengthening its brand image as a scooter meant for young, urban female riders.
About Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt. Ltd.
In 2013, India Yamaha Motor established a separate sister concern namely Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt. Ltd. (YMIS) that will cater to the sales and marketing needs of the company and will function independently.
Presently, its products in India are Fazer (153cc), FZ-S (153cc), FZ (153cc), SZ-X & SZ-R (153cc), YZF-R15 Version 2.0 (150cc), SS125 (123cc), YBR 125 (123cc), YBR 110 (106cc), Crux (106cc) and Ray (113cc) Scooter. Its import portfolio includes VMAX (1,679cc), YZF-R1 (998cc) and FZ1 (998cc).
