Kuldip Purohit, Co-Founder and Business Head, Royal Brothers, shares with us the journey so far, the challenges they faced and what lies ahead for this motorcycle rental company.

Purohit says, “Royal Brothers signifies brotherhood and brings a sense of belongingness. We wanted to showcase our brand as one which can be trusted like a brother and provides safety and comfort like a brother does.” He further explains that they wanted to use the term ‘Royal’ in some sense, possibly because one of their earliest achievements was securing a wide range of Royal Enfield motorcycles for their fleet, and also because the team members were all of the same age – like brothers in arms.

Speaking about the challenges the team faced in securing an RTO authorisation, Purohit said, “We took almost six months to procure the first licence in Karnataka. As the officials were not aware of the procedures and the bike rental scheme, we had to educate them about the Central Government’s scheme and the State Government’s role in processing the application.”

When asked if Royal Brothers was a passion product for a team that enjoyed motorcycles or more of a lucrative business opportunity, he said, “Royal Brothers was started with a passion to change the way the industry behaves. Even after 100 years, the rental market is still unorganised and is not treated as an industry. We wanted to change the unorganised sector into an organised one.” He further added by saying that the co-founders and employees are all passionate bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts; their common goal to serve people made it a lucrative business in the process.

Commenting on the recent Covid-19 ordeal, Purohit said, “Covid19 was a challenging and stressful period. Even though it’s not fully over, we believe we have been able to manage it well and will continue to do better in the future. Lockdown was announced suddenly and we had a lot of our assets deployed with customers and on the roads. The first month was difficult, but thanks to the team’s dedicated efforts, we were able to recover the vehicles from the customers and get them back to our yards.”

To ensure customer safety, all rental bikes are checked and sanitised before delivery. The company also makes sure that the assets are regularly washed, cleaned and sanitised, and a proper temperature log of the executives is also maintained.

Elaborating on how the company managed to cut losses when there was no revenue from bookings during the lockdown period, the co-founder spoke about Royal Brothers X, a long-term subscription model, conceived during the second month of lockdown. This enabled customers to book a vehicle for up to nine months and in-turn generated some revenue for the company to sustain the blow.

Commenting on the efforts that go into maintaining and servicing a large fleet of two-wheelers, the business head claimed that they would get the service done at the OEM service centres in the initial days when they had five motorcycles. Going ahead, the Vehicle Health Management team (VHM) was formed with the sole responsibility of maintaining the quality of the fleet across all 23 cities.

The VHM also determines when to retire a particular asset based on a certain number of KMs on the odometer or the number of years on particular models. Market factors also play a crucial role in the discontinuation of certain models in the Royal Brothers’ fleet.

Royal Brothers recently established a touchpoint at the Bangalore International Airport, making it one of the first bike rental companies to do so . Speaking about the operation, Purohit said, “The project took more than six months to materialise. We had a lot of restrictions due to Covid and also the way airports function. We had to procure a lot of approvals from various teams and authorities to begin with. Also, the vehicle models and their maintenance at the airport required a new set of SOPs which we had to develop specifically for the airport. All our executives were trained as per the airport security, functioning and operating guidelines.”

Taking innovation a step further, Royal Brothers has been working with Ather to spread awareness on EVs by facilitating test rides at select locations across Bangalore to help people understand the capabilities of the vehicle.

In these trying times of pollution and rising fuel prices, this initiative strengthens the need for eco-friendly mobility. Furthermore, the company offers Ather scooters in its fleet alongside other prominent EVs. “We believe in sustainable development and would like to play our part in a greener mobility solution,” he adds.

Speaking on the secret behind the company’s success, Purohit says, “Everything looked challenging in the beginning; however, we were determined to succeed. My personal motto is – If there is a problem, find a solution.”

“We have worked round the clock on the feedback of the customers and that has brought us success. The easiest way to figure out the loopholes and lags in the business model for a service-driven business is to listen to its users. We followed the same and kept making changes on a regular basis,” he adds.

Commenting on Bangalore, the metropolitan city of blossoming entrepreneurs and countless start-ups, Purohit says, “Bangalore is Love. We all love the city and believe that there is no other city in the world that could have given us what this city offered us. Bangalore and its people are not averse to new ideas and offer full support to budding entrepreneurs.”

In Royal Brothers’ case, he says, Bangalore has grown over the years and so has the acceptability of bike rentals in the market. He appreciates residents whose entrepreneurial spirit knows no bounds. “There is no dearth of talent in the city. One can find capital, talent, guidance and mentors in abundance,” he concludes.

When asked on what lies ahead for Royal Brothers and if we could expect a gradual inclusion of four-wheelers in the fleet, Purohit said, “We are not looking to move into the four-wheeler category anytime soon, but also not ruling out the possibility. Currently, we want to focus on the two-wheelers and make Brand RB the largest in SE Asia.” (MT)

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Vietnamese automotive company VinFast has signed Letters of Intent (LoI) with its first group of over 50 e-motorcycle dealer partners in India, establishing a distribution footprint across 15 states and 34 cities. The agreement was finalised at VinFast’s manufacturing facility in Hai Phong, Vietnam, during a delegation visit by Indian retail partners.

As per the terms, VinFast and its retail partners will open showrooms in locations including Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha. The initial expansion target focuses on commercial centres with high two-wheeler adoption rates as part of the manufacturer's network setup.

Vo Thi Cam Tu, Managing Director of VinFast E-Scooters Overseas Market, said, "India is one of the most important markets in VinFast's global growth story, and this partnership reflects the scale of ambition we hold for the region. As we expand our presence across markets worldwide, India stands out for its scale, its growing demand for electric mobility, and the opportunity it offers to redefine mobility. This LoI signing demonstrates our long-term commitment to India, as well as our expectations and confidence in the vast scale and potential of the market."

Anurag Saxena, Chief Executive Officer of VinFast India E-Scooters, said, "Partnering with more than 50 dealer partners across 15 states and territories and 34 cities marks the beginning of our journey to bring VinFast e-motorcycles across India. Alongside, we are also building charging infrastructure and strengthening after-sales services to ensure that customers across these locations receive the support they need throughout their ownership journey."

The company entered the Indian market in 2025 with electric car manufacturing and distribution operations. The latest agreement represents VinFast's first dedicated retail network for electric two-wheelers in India, where two-wheeler registrations reached 21.41 million units in fiscal year 2025-2026, with electric models accounting for 6.54 per cent of total sales.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, one of the leading two-wheeler manufacturers in the country, has announced pricing and opened bookings for the Honda XR300 L and Honda XR300 Rally. The announcement follows the initial unveiling of both models in July 2026 as part of the company's product expansion plans.

The XR300 L is priced at INR 183,000 ex-showroom Bengaluru, while the XR300 Rally is priced at INR 208,000 ex-showroom Bengaluru. Effective from 5 October 2026, bookings for both models have opened across the manufacturer's BigWing dealership network and online platform for a reservation amount of INR 5,000.

Both motorcycles are powered by a 293.5cc air-cooled engine equipped with an oil cooler; both variants come with torque control systems, rear suspension setups, front and rear disc brakes, switchable dual-channel ABS and an assist slipper clutch.

The XR300 L is designed for mixed city and off-road use and is offered in Extreme Red and Shasta White colour options. The XR300 Rally features bodywork designed for wind protection during long-distance riding, along with a TFT instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity.

The Rally variant is available in Extreme Red and True Black options. Both models form part of the manufacturer's domestic production initiative for local and export markets.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Triumph Motorcycles, one of the leading premium motorcycle manufacturers, has expanded its lineup in India with the launch of the Bonneville T40, T40 Black and T4 models, with pricing starting at INR 279,999 ex-showroom, Delhi, while the latter is priced at INR 254,999 ex-showroom, Delhi.

The new models feature traditional styling elements, including a teardrop fuel tank, round headlight, twin rear shock absorbers and spoked wheels with aluminium rims. The motorcycles are available in two-tone schemes with hand-painted coach lining and peashooter silencers. The bikes offer an accessible ergonomic setup, featuring a low seat height that can be reduced to 770 millimetres with an accessory seat.

All three variants are powered by a 350cc iteration of Triumph's TR Series engine. The engine produces 29 PS of power at 7,000 rpm and 31 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm, tuned to deliver low-end torque and a distinct exhaust note.

The T40 and T40 Black feature a four-inch circular TFT instrument display with smartphone connectivity, including map navigation, phone and music controls. The models also come equipped with five ride modes, cruise control, cornering ABS and cornering traction control. The Bonneville T4 includes a colour LCD with turn-by-turn navigation, selectable ride modes, and dual-channel ABS.

Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer, Triumph Motorcycles, said, “The Bonneville is one of the most significant motorcycles in Triumph's history, so introducing a new model carrying that name comes with a responsibility to get it right. From the outset, our ambition was not simply to create a smaller Bonneville, but to create a motorcycle that delivers the style, character and ownership experience riders expect from a genuine Bonneville. Bringing that experience to more riders is strategically important for Triumph, particularly as lower-capacity motorcycle categories continue to grow around the world."

"Working closely with Bajaj, we challenged ourselves to retain the details and qualities that make a Bonneville special, from the proportions and finish to traditional touches such as hand-painted coach lining, while also introducing a level of technology and rider-focused innovation not previously seen in this category. The result is a motorcycle that stays true to the values that have defined the Bonneville for generations while opening the experience to even more riders.” Sargent added.

The company has begun online bookings for the motorcycles starting 7 October 2026. Deliveries for the Bonneville T40 and T40 Black are scheduled to begin in the second week of November 2026, while deliveries for the Bonneville T4 will commence in the second week of January 2027.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Aprilia India has launched its SXR GT scooter lineup, introducing the SXR GT 125 hp-e and SXR GT 175 hp-e models to expand its product offerings in the country. The SXR GT 125 hp-e is priced at an introductory rate of INR 109,999 ex-showroom, Maharashtra, while the SXR GT 175 hp-e is priced at INR 129,999 ex-showroom, Maharashtra.

The scooters are powered by air-cooled single-cylinder engines. The 124.45 cc engine produces 7.8 kW of power at 7,400 rpm and 10.4 Nm of torque at 6,200 rpm, while the 174.7 cc engine delivers 9.76 kW at 7,200 rpm and 14.14 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm.

Both scooters feature three valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection, electric starting, and compliance with BSVI OBD II Stage B regulations and E20 fuel blends. The chassis setup incorporates 14-inch wheels fitted to both models.

Suspension is handled by telescopic front forks and a dual-effect hydraulic shock absorber with five-position adjustability at the rear. Braking relies on a 220 mm front disc brake paired with a 140 mm rear drum brake, with the 125 cc variant utilising a combined braking system and the 175 cc variant employing an anti-lock braking system.

The SXR GT 125 hp-e is available in Matte Black, Glossy Azzurro, and Glossy White colour finishes, while the SXR GT 175 hp-e comes in Metallic Blue, Matte Black and Matte Green. Both models have gone on sale across Aprilia dealerships in India.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!