PM Modi inaugurates Surat diamond exchange, world’s largest office

In his first remarks on the Parliament security breach last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was “very serious”. He said there is “no need to debate” this and that a “detailed investigation” should be carried out.

“The seriousness of this incident should not be downplayed. The (Lok Sabha) Speaker is taking all the necessary steps. Probe agencies are investigating the matter. It is important to find out which elements are behind this and what their objectives are. There is no need to debate this, there should be a detailed investigation into this,” he told Dainik Jagran newspaper in an interview.

Shocking scenes played out in the Lok Sabha chamber Wednesday when two intruders jumped from desk to desk and deployed coloured smoke from canisters. Their co-accused staged a similar protest outside the Parliament. They have told investigators that their objective was to draw attention to Manipur violence, unemployment and farmers’ problems. A total of six people have been arrested in connection with a case so far. Delhi Police have invoked the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, against the trespassers.

The Opposition has criticised the government over the huge security breach and demanded a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, however, has said the security inside Lok Sabha is under the secretariat’s purview and that it will not let the Centre intervene. “The government cannot intervene in (responsibilities of) Lok Sabha secretariat. We will not allow that either,” he said, responding to Opposition MPs’ slogans.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the security breach is a serious issue. “We are asking for the Home Minister’s statement in Parliament, but the Home Minister is not saying anything, neither is he giving a statement. He is speaking in TV shows, but not inside Parliament. This is not good for democracy,” he told reporters.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the youngsters who breached Parliament’s security were youngsters who are jobless due to the Narendra Modi government’s policies. “The biggest issue in the country is that of unemployment, which is boiling all over the country. The country’s youth are not getting employment due to the policies of Modi ji,” he said.

The BJP hit back, saying Mr Gandhi “always talks trash” and pointing out that unemployment was at its lowest in the last six years.

“Instead, Rahul Gandhi and I.N.D.I Alliance leaders must explain the close linkages of those involved in the Parliament breach with Congress, TMC, and CPI(M),” BJP IT in-charge Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

Sajneet Sandhu grew up riding on her father’s Royal Enfield around Goa’s palm-fringed roads, taking in endless beaches and rice paddies from the back of the iconic Indian motorcycle. Now 43 and inspired by those childhood memories, she has got a bike of her own. But it isn’t like her dad’s.

Rather than a Royal Enfield favored by her father and several million other riders in India, Ms Sandhu opted for a slick roadster from UK-based Triumph.

“The new Triumph was affordable, and I was like, ‘why not!'” the teacher said.

Her choice reflects a shift in India’s motorcycle scene, where Ms Sandhu is part of an expanding middle class and one of a growing contingent of female bikers.

Like Triumph, US giant Harley-Davidson Inc. is also renewing efforts in India, where Royal Enfield is revered to a similar extent as Harley is in the US. The Milwaukee-based company and Triumph both have local partners so they can produce their bikes more cheaply in the world’s biggest two-wheeler market.

Harley initially failed to make inroads into India and pulled out in 2020 due to poor sales. Its imported motorcycles were heavily taxed and not designed for India’s climate and potholed roads.

Harley launched its X440 specifically for India earlier this year, manufactured by Hero MotoCorp Ltd. in Neemrana. The X440 starts from Rs 239,500 ($2,870), much less than the American company’s cheapest imported big engine motorcycle, the Nightster, which costs Rs 10.2 lakh.

Harley says it has taken more than 25,000 bookings for the X440 since July.

Triumph’s Indian partner Bajaj Auto Ltd. makes and distributes the Scrambler 400X and Speed 400, priced at Rs 262,996 and Rs 233,000, respectively. Orders for those began in the second half of this year and have already reached more than 10,000, according to Bajaj.

The numbers suggest that the decision to manufacture more affordable, smaller-engine motorcycles locally is paying off for Harley and Triumph, giving them a better chance of pulling closer to Royal Enfield.

The thump and roar of Royal Enfield’s Bullet motorcycle won over a generation of riders, and the company is the clear leader in small- to mid-engine capacity bikes. It sold about 75,140 motorcycles in India in November, a festival-season month when consumer spending is typically strongest. Royal Enfield’s best-selling bike, the Classic 350, starts from Rs 193,080.

“People’s purchasing capacity has improved and they are going beyond their city commute to do offroading and leisure riding,” said Rahul Mishra, a partner at management consultancy firm Kearney. “There’s also a fair bit of status consciousness, customers want to be seen with bigger bikes and better brands.”

Still, smaller, less powerful motorcycles are most widely used in India, as they are better suited to lower budgets and the need to navigate the South Asian country’s massive and congested cities, as well as remote rural areas.

About 2.25 million two-wheelers in total were sold nationwide in November. Hero, Bajaj, TVS Motor Co. and Honda are the top sellers in India, rolling out flashy advertising campaigns with Bollywood stars and cricketers such as Hrithik Roshan, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

Royal Enfield is a different beast. Founded in the UK at the start of last century and with motorcycles that were used in World War II, it leans more on an enduring legacy and historic appeal to adventure seekers. Royal Enfield brand ambassadors are generally regular people, not multimillionaire celebrities.

Royal Enfield was acquired by India’s Eicher Motors Ltd. in 1994. The bikes have maintained a reputation for rugged durability that suits epic journeys in remote places such as Leh-Ladakh and other jaw-dropping parts of the Himalayas, and enthusiasts are part of a biking fellowship.

Harley and Triumph share some of those traits, and all three brands sell associated merchandise, including apparel and biking gear for women.

Harley imports its popular Fat Boy and Fat Bob models as well as the Pan America tourer, while Triumph has its Tiger adventure range of motorcycles, Bonnevilles and roadsters including the Speed Triple and Rocket 3.

For Sandhu, Triumph’s Speed 400 was most appealing, partly thanks to its “sophisticated and quintessential English” look.

Sumeet Narang, an executive director at Bajaj, said the company aims to more than double Triumph’s India showrooms to 100 in six months, adding that people want one motorcycle to cover daily travels as well as road trips.

“Through these partnerships, international brands are trying to bring in products which are designed for the Indian market, and that’s what’s needed,” Kearney’s Mishra said. “There is room for new entrants to do well.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)