KYMCO or Kwang Yang Motor Co is Taiwan’s biggest two-wheeler brand in Taiwan. KYMCO is also
well-known name in Southeast Asia and in Europe, it is the fourth largest scooter brand overall. The
brand is also particularly strong in markets like Spain, Italy and France.
The company’s line-up includes traditional scooters and premium maxi-scooters, as well as ATVs and
even a few small-capacity motorcycles. Chairman Allen Ko just announced the company’s plans to
enter the Indian market within the next three years. Ko said that the company has been looking at
India for a number of years now, and he has made a number of visits to India to meet local
manufacturers. The company was waiting for the right time to enter India, and Ko stated that
KYMCO is not in it to get involved in the numbers game. Currently, KYMCO is keen to find a local
partner and the company has committed to a three-year timeline and said that it will come to India
on its own if it can’t find a partner to collaborate with.
The company’s existing line-up features a number of premium 125cc offerings and even a full-size
maxi-scooter called the X-town 125i. As far as bigger scooters are concerned, there is the single-
cylinder 300cc and 400cc Xcting models and the company even has the new, twin-cylinder AK550 as
part of its line-up. But, by the time the brand makes its way here, there will be a whole range of new
models on sale.
KYMCO is in for a bumpy ride in the competitive Indian segment where cost-effectiveness is key. The
brand needs to offer a mix of reliability, premium feel and bang-for- your-buck with all its products to
pry Indian consumers away from other brands. Manufacturing is going to be vital towards achieving
that level of competitiveness.