Royal Enfield Accelerates Global Dominance With 49% Export Surge, Eyes SAARC Leadership

Royal Enfield, India's global motorcycling leader, has accelerated its international expansion with a compelling 49 per cent surge in export volumes during the first half of fiscal 2026, marking a pivotal moment in its strategy to capture emerging motorcycle markets across Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

The company dispatched 78,548 units internationally in the six-month period ending September 2025, underscoring robust demand for mid-size motorcycles across 60-plus countries. This growth trajectory positions Royal Enfield as the fastest-expanding middleweight brand globally, overtaking traditional heavyweight competitors including Harley-Davidson, which remains dominant in the cruiser segment, whilst challenging Honda and Yamaha in volume-driven markets.

Royal Enfield has clinched the number-one position in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) markets, capitalising on recent expansion into Bangladesh and Nepal. The Bangladesh manufacturing facility, launched in October 2024 in partnership with IFAD Motors, commenced operations with an annual capacity of 30,000 units, assembling the Hunter 350, Meteor 350, Classic 350, and Bullet 350 variants locally. Nepal's completely knocked-down (CKD) assembly plant, operational since fiscal 2024, further strengthened the company's regional footprint.

Both initiatives address legislative barriers that previously prevented full-built motorcycle exports from India, transforming regulatory constraints into localised manufacturing opportunities.

Royal Enfield has secured the number-two ranking in the United Kingdom, Argentina, Thailand, Korea, and Brazil—mature and emerging markets where the brand competes alongside established players including BMW Motorrad (premium adventure segment), Harley-Davidson (cruiser category), and Japanese manufacturers Honda and Yamaha (volume commuter segment). The number-three position in Australia reflects intensifying competition from Japanese incumbents in the Asia-Pacific region.

The company's expansion strategy extends beyond market entry. A flagship assembly plant in Thailand, inaugurated in December 2024 in Samut Prakan province, Bangkok, commenced local production with 30,000 units annual capacity. This facility represents Royal Enfield's sixth CKD assembly operation globally, supplementing existing plants in Nepal, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina—infrastructure investments undertaken since 2018 when the company entered Argentina's motorcycle market.

Earlier CKD establishments in Brazil (2019) and Colombia (2019) solidified Latin American presence, whilst Korea's market entry occurred in April 2019 through exclusive dealerships in Seoul.

The international growth reflects successful positioning of the 350cc mid-segment motorcycles—Hunter 350, Meteor 350, and Classic 350—alongside premium 650cc twins (Continental GT 650, Interceptor 650) in developed markets. The sub-350cc category's competitive pricing and accessible performance characteristics resonate particularly with first-time and leisure riders in emerging economies, a demographic segment underserved by traditional heavyweights.

With international revenue targets originally set at 20 per cent of total sales by fiscal 2025, Royal Enfield's accelerated export momentum signals advancement toward this objective. The company achieved 1,009,900 annual sales in FY'25, with exports reaching 107,143 units (10.6 per cent of total sales), indicating near-term potential to exceed the 15-20 per cent international revenue mix.

During the Analyst Call, the Eicher management stated that the focus remains North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific expansion, and Europe, with Bangladesh and Nepal now constituting high-priority SAARC initiatives. Whether Royal Enfield can sustain this 49 per cent export growth whilst managing localised production economics and competing against entrenched regional players remains a focal industry narrative for fiscal 2026.