Hero MotoCorp's current R&D centres, located at the Gurgaon and Dharuhera factories, will shift to the new Hero Centre of Global Innovation and R&D. Located about 20 km from state capital Jaipur, the new R&D centre will house over 400 highly-skilled engineers working on future product line-up. What is the future of product development at Hero? That's the big question.
After the split with former partner Honda, Hero has been quietly, but confidently shoring up its technological prowess and R&D capability to develop new products. So far, most of Hero's mass market products still use Honda technology, on a royalty paying agreement with Honda. At the same time, Hero recently launched two new scooters - the Maestro Edge and the Duet. Both scooters are impressive products, with commendable engineering and class leading features.
Additionally, Hero has also tied up with big global names in the two wheeler industry. Last year, Hero roped in former BMW chief engineer and R&D head Markus Braunsperger as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), giving him responsibility for heading Hero R&D. In 2013, Braunsperger had a successful career at BMW, spanning over 25 years and also included a role as leading BMW Motorrad's R&D division. In 2013, Hero roped in another expat Marcus Feichtner, an expert on engines technology and formerly with Austrian engine maker AVL to head Hero MotoCorp's Engine Design and Development.
Recently, Hero parted ways with American motorcycle manufacturer Eric Buell Racing, where Hero had held 49.2 per cent stake in 2013. EBR was involved in consulting and R&D work for Hero and was reportedly working on Hero engines as well, tuning them for better performance and efficiency. But, with EBR filing for receivership earlier this year, Hero acquired EBR's consulting work, which included projects EBR was executing for Hero, as part of a settlement in August this year.
With names like Markus Braunsperger, Marcus Feichtner in the current Hero technical set-up, and whatever unfinished projects EBR was involved in; the future of product development at Hero MotoCorp will be interesting to watch. And if products like the 250cc HX250R and the 620cc Hastur - which were displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo - are any indication, there seem to be exciting times ahead for Hero. But the big question remains - will Hero continue to focus on reinforcing its position as a mass market leader or will it shake off its 'commuter segment king' image? We sure hope there's a mix of both and get to see some exciting new products out of Jaipur.
