TVS Jupiter - How TVS Managed A Success Story

The TVS Jupiter 110 received a major overhaul yesterday as a new updated version of the popular scooter was unveiled. The Jupiter is the most successful scooter for the Hosur-based brand and helped TVS re-establish itself in the segment in early 2010s as the TVS Scooty was losing steam. The Jupiter wasn’t the first attempt by the Hosur-based manufacturer in the 110cc scooter space as it had introduced the TVS Wego in 2009. While the Wego went on to win many laurels, the sales figures didn’t reflect the same warm reception. But then it rolled the dice again in 2013 with the Jupiter and TVS hit jackpot.

Be Distinct

The scooter market was very different in 2013 then what it’s now, barring the fact that one scooter dominated proceedings back then too, the Honda Activa. Many other brands tried to ape the Activa and its success, but none could even come close. Therein lies the problem, you can’t beat a segment leader by mimicking it, Coca-Cola is Coca-Cola for a reason despite the plethora of cola brands globally. TVS designers gave the Jupiter a more understated styling in comparison to the Wego, thereby attracting the ‘family audience’ which formed the major chunk of scooter sales. 

Next up, TVS offered solutions to the issues faced on the Activa. It rode on larger wheels thereby offering safety and confidence, the suspension setup was comfier and it too employed a metal body just like the Japanese scooter. So TVS had got the basics right. More importantly, despite offering superior mechanicals, the Jupiter was also more affordable than its Japanese rival.  

Offer Convenience

One of the main reasons for the rising popularity of scooters was and remains true now also is its convenience and ease of use. The inclusion of automatic transmission in scooters meant it wasn’t taxing to ride in stop and go traffic, while the low seat height and lightweight nature made it friendlier for female riders and the affordable pricing was the icing on the cake. TVS took comvenice a step further by repositioning the fuel filler cap from under the seat to the tail of the scooter. This meant, the rider didn’t have to get down from the scooter at fuel pumps, all one had to was to twist the key and the fuel filler cap would open. 

The Jupiter also came with a USB charger under the seat and an Eco mode display on the console to help the rider extract more mileage. It was also larger than the Wego, thereby offering the rider more space and the footboard space was large enough to carry a LPG cylinder (something we don’t advocate given the safety risk). The Jupiter was also offered with a disc brake at the front, something the Honda Activa lacks till this day! 

Be Visible 

I still remember a female friend calling me and informing me that she was planning to buy the Honda Activa as her first two-wheeler, when the TVS Jupiter was a few months old in the market. I suggested she take a test ride of the Jupiter before finalising the purchase and her response was “Activa is the only right scooter na”. This one line cements the impact of the Japanese scooter in the minds of Indian riders, the Activa was a synonym for scooters in our two-wheeler space. 

However, she did take a test ride of the Jupiter and as I expected went on to purchase it! This was the big conundrum for TVS, it had a great product, but it required visibility and prospective buyers needed to take test rides. The company signed Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan and the “zyada ka fayda” marketing initiative helped Jupiter in gaining popularity. TVS also kept introducing many special variants, new colours and small updates to keep the Jupiter fresh and popular among the minds of the Indian buyers. 

All the above strategies helped TVS in selling over 6.73 million units of the Jupiter in its decade long journey. With the 2024 Jupiter, TVS continues to innovate and offer consumers convenience. The Jupiter has gotten bolder with revised styling and now comes with a slew of interesting new features, you can read about them here. With the new Jupiter, TVS would like to continue its strong momentum in the scooter segment and the next new product from the Indian brand could be a sporty 110cc scooter in the form of the Orbiter.