10 Indian Motorcycle Brands You Should Know

Photo: Ashley Pomeroy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

India is, by a long margin, the world's largest motorcycle market. Around 17 million two-wheelers were sold in India in 2024 - more than any other country, roughly 30% of global two-wheeler sales, and several times the size of the entire European or US new-motorcycle market. The country is home to a global heritage brand (Royal Enfield), the volume giants that dominate world manufacturing rankings (Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj, TVS), engineering partners of major Western brands (Bajaj owns 48% of KTM, TVS owns Norton and co-develops the BMW G 310 platform), and one of the fastest-growing electric two-wheeler ecosystems on the planet.

This post is a hub - the parent piece for the Indian motorcycle category on Goutchen. It walks through ten brands you should recognise, ordered roughly by global recognition. Royal Enfield first (the brand most riders outside India will already know), then the volume giants, then the heritage revivalist (Classic Legends, which has resurrected Jawa, Yezdi, and BSA), then the electric pioneers. Each section below is a thumbnail; deeper dives on individual brands link from here.

TL;DR

India is the world's largest motorcycle market by volume (~17 million two-wheelers per year), with brands ranging from Royal Enfield's global mid-displacement heritage to Bajaj's volume manufacturing dominance.
Three Indian companies own or partner with major Western brands: Bajaj owns 48% of KTM AG, TVS owns Norton and co-develops the BMW G 310 platform, and Mahindra's Classic Legends has revived BSA and Jawa.
A thriving electric two-wheeler ecosystem (Ather, Ola Electric, Ultraviolette, Revolt, Tork) is making India one of the fastest-growing EV motorcycle markets in the world.

1. Royal Enfield - the global mid-displacement heritage brand

Photo: Mr.choppers / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Founded 1901 in Redditch, England as a firearms components maker (the "Royal" in the name came from the Royal Small Arms Factory contract), Royal Enfield moved its motorcycle production to India in 1955 to meet Indian Army orders, then closed the UK operations entirely in 1970. Owned by Eicher Motors since 1994, the brand has been rebuilt under CEO Siddhartha Lal since 2000. Today's lineup covers the Classic 350, Hunter 350, Bullet, Continental GT 650, Interceptor 650, Himalayan 450, Shotgun 650, and Super Meteor 650. Royal Enfield is the world's largest mid-displacement (250cc-750cc) motorcycle brand, with an engineering centre in Bruntingthorpe, England, supplementing the main factory in Chennai.

Sources: Royal Enfield - Heritage; Wikipedia - Royal Enfield.

2. Bajaj Auto - the volume manufacturer that owns 48% of KTM

Photo: 25 Cents FC / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Pune, Bajaj Auto is one of the largest motorcycle makers in the world by volume. The Pulsar series alone has sold over twelve million units across two decades. Bajaj's relationship with Western motorcycling runs deeper than most Indian brands realise: Bajaj owns a 48% stake in KTM AG (the Pierer Mobility parent group), and Bajaj's Chakan plant manufactures the KTM 200, 250, 390 Duke, RC, and Adventure models for global markets - alongside Husqvarna small-displacement bikes and Triumph's Bajaj-built 400cc range. Domestic models include the Pulsar series, the Dominar 400 sport-tourer, the Avenger cruiser, and the Chetak electric scooter.

Sources: Bajaj Auto - Overview; Wikipedia - Bajaj Auto.

3. TVS Motor Company - owns Norton, co-develops BMW G 310

Photo: Ganesh Mohan T / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Founded in 1978, with the TVS Group dating to 1911, TVS Motor Company is India's third-largest two-wheeler manufacturer. The strategic links to Europe make TVS one of the most globally relevant Indian brands. In 2020 TVS acquired Norton Motorcycles outright. TVS also partners with BMW Motorrad on the G 310 platform - the G 310 R, G 310 GS, G 310 RR, and G 310 GS Adventure are all developed by TVS and built at the TVS Hosur plant, then sold globally under both BMW and TVS (as the Apache RR 310) badging. Domestic models include the Apache RR 310 fully-faired sport, the Apache RTR streetfighter range, the Ronin retro standard, and the iQube electric scooter.

Sources: TVS Motor - About; Wikipedia - TVS Motor.

4. Hero MotoCorp - the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer

Photo: Jim Cartar / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Originally founded as Hero Cycles in 1984 then becoming the Hero Honda joint venture, Hero MotoCorp split from Honda in 2010 and now operates fully independently. Hero is the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer by volume, building around 7 million bikes a year, with the Splendor commuter alone accounting for many millions of units. The portfolio runs from the Splendor and Glamour 100-125cc commuters that dominate Indian rural and small-city markets, up to the Xtreme 160R and Mavrick 440 mid-displacement bikes, the Karizma XMR sport, and the Vida electric range. Since the Honda split, Hero has expanded into dozens of export markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America under its own brand.

Sources: Hero MotoCorp - Who We Are; Wikipedia - Hero MotoCorp.

5. Classic Legends (Jawa, Yezdi, BSA)

Photo: Gpkp / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Founded in 2015 as a Mahindra subsidiary, Classic Legends exists for one purpose: reviving heritage motorcycle brands. The portfolio is unusually international. Jawa (Czech heritage, licensed from Jawa Moto, relaunched November 2018 with the Classic, Forty Two, and Perak models), Yezdi (Indian classic name from the 1960s Jawa licensed production era, relaunched January 2022 as Roadster, Scrambler, Adventure), and BSA (the British Birmingham Small Arms motorcycle brand, relaunched October 2022 with the Gold Star 650). The BSA Gold Star 650 is assembled in Banbury, UK - making Classic Legends one of very few Indian companies with active UK manufacturing.

Sources: Jawa Motorcycles; Wikipedia - Classic Legends.

6. Ultraviolette - India's electric supersport

Bangalore-based Ultraviolette Automotive was founded in 2016 and launched the F77 Mach 2 in 2023 - India's first homegrown electric supersport motorcycle. The F77 produces around 40 hp from a permanent-magnet motor, a claimed top speed of 152 km/h, and a city range of approximately 250 km from a 10.3 kWh battery pack. The bike has the riding position and visual language of a small-displacement supersport, not a scooter or commuter, which positions Ultraviolette uniquely in the global electric motorcycle market. The company began export shipments to Europe in 2024 starting with the UK and is one of the most ambitious Indian electric motorcycle startups in terms of international positioning.

Sources: Ultraviolette Automotive; Wikipedia - Ultraviolette.

7. Ather Energy - the electric scooter category leader

Founded in 2013 in Bangalore by two IIT Madras alumni, Ather Energy is the electric scooter brand that built the category in India almost from scratch. The first model, the 450, launched in 2018 - well ahead of most competitors. The current range (450X, 450 Apex, and the family-oriented Rizta) is sold across India and has expanded into export markets. Ather also built Ather Grid, India's first dedicated EV charging network for two-wheelers, which has spread to over a hundred Indian cities. The company listed on Indian stock exchanges in 2024 and now competes head-to-head with Ola Electric for the volume electric two-wheeler market.

Sources: Ather Energy; Wikipedia - Ather Energy.

8. Ola Electric - the volume leader

Photo: Ganesh Mohan T / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Founded in 2017 as a subsidiary of ride-hailing company Ola, Ola Electric has grown into the largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer in India by volume. The S1 series (S1 Pro flagship, S1 Air mid-range, S1 X entry-level) anchors the lineup, supplemented by the family-oriented S1 Z and the upcoming Roadster electric motorcycle. Ola listed on Indian stock exchanges in 2024, becoming the first pure-play Indian electric two-wheeler IPO. The company also operates its own manufacturing facility (Ola FutureFactory) and is developing battery cell production in India, vertically integrating in a way few Indian motorcycle brands have attempted.

Sources: Ola Electric; Wikipedia - Ola Electric.

9. Revolt Motors - the electric motorcycle (not scooter) maker

Founded by Rahul Sharma (co-founder of mobile phone maker Micromax), Revolt Motors launched in 2019 with one specific bet: India needed proper electric motorcycles, not just scooters. The flagship RV400 is a commuter-style electric motorcycle with a 3.24 kWh battery pack, a real-world range of around 150 km, and the company's signature feature - synthesized engine sounds that can mimic a sport-bike or cruiser via the rider's phone. The smaller RV1 has expanded the range. Revolt also pioneered swappable battery infrastructure in India for two-wheelers and was acquired by RattanIndia in 2021, giving it the capital to scale.

Sources: Revolt Motors; Wikipedia - Revolt Motors.

10. Tork Motors - the Pune-based electric commuter

Founded in 2009 in Pune, Tork Motors is one of India's longest-running electric motorcycle startups - a survivor from the era before the current EV boom made the segment fashionable. The flagship Kratos R is a commuter-positioned electric motorcycle (again, motorcycle rather than scooter), with around 9 kW peak power and a city range of 120 km. The company spent over a decade in R&D before bringing the Kratos to market, and is now expanding distribution beyond Maharashtra. The brand's positioning - a real motorcycle riding position, real motorcycle controls, no synthetic sounds, just an electric powertrain - makes it the closest Indian equivalent to brands like Cake, Sondors, or the early Zero.

Sources: Tork Motors; Wikipedia - Tork Motors.

Step back and look at the shape. Ten brands cover almost the entire price-and-purpose spectrum: a global heritage brand (Royal Enfield), three volume giants whose scale makes them globally significant (Hero, Bajaj, TVS), a strategic heritage revivalist that operates in three countries (Classic Legends), and five electric-only brands that together are turning India into one of the largest EV two-wheeler markets on the planet. The combined output of Hero, Bajaj, and TVS alone exceeds the entire motorcycle production of Europe and the US put together. Royal Enfield, with a fraction of that volume, exports to more than 60 countries and is the only Indian brand whose name carries the same recognition outside India as inside.

The biggest single under-reported story in this list is the Western-brand crossover. Bajaj's 48% stake in KTM means that more KTMs are manufactured in India than in Austria; TVS owns Norton outright and co-develops the BMW G 310 platform from its Hosur plant; Classic Legends manufactures BSA Gold Stars in Banbury, UK; and Triumph's accessible 400cc range is Bajaj-built. The next time you read about a "European" or "British" motorcycle in the entry-mid segment, there's a meaningful chance the engineering and final assembly happened in India.

Useful Goutchen links

10 Italian Motorcycle Brands You Should Know - the parallel hub post for the Italian motorcycle category.
Goutchen seat-height simulator - filter by Indian brand to see which models are indexed and how each fits your inseam.