India's Top Two-Wheeler Makers Reshape for EV, Premium Shift

Hero MotoCorp created a dedicated premium business leadership division and expanded its premium retail footprint to more than 130 Hero Premia stores across India. The company appointed Kausalya Nandakumar as chief business officer of its Emerging Mobility Business Unit last July, a separate leadership role for its EV business. On Monday, Hero named Anuj Dua as chief business officer for the premium segment, overseeing product expansion and exclusive store rollouts. "Driven by strong FY'26 momentum, the company is sharpening its focus on the premium segment through dedicated leadership, an expanding product portfolio, differentiated retail experiences and global partnerships," Hero said in a statement.

TVS Motor combined its EV and commuter business leadership during FY26, a move two company executives said has improved planning and execution. "EV is now not seen as a separate isolated business but instead as a core part of the mainstream two-wheeler business," one of the executives said, speaking on condition of anonymity. TVS also announced a new exclusive retail network called TVS Paddock, scheduled to launch in the July-September quarter of this fiscal year. The company's management told analysts it is investing heavily in brand-building initiatives for premium products. "Our products like Apache are going to do extremely well along with Ronin," chief executive KN Radhakrishan said on the July 21 earnings call.

The restructuring reflects a broader recognition that EVs and premium motorcycles are no longer niche experiments. "The EV segment is large enough and growing, so these companies do not have to see this as an experiment of market demand," said Subhabrata Sengupta, a partner at consulting firm Avalon Consulting. "EVs and premium vehicles are urban-focused segments. The companies are getting there in terms of tweaking their structure and retail network to meet the demand."