Indiantelevision.com Team

(15 April 2008 8:00 pm)

BANGALORE: New Delhi based Ultra Motor Company (Ultra) in association with Hero Cycles – Hero Exports (Hero) had launched the Hero Ultra range of light electric vehicle (LEV). The association has sold around 22000 units of LEV's with revenues of about Rs 600 million over the past nine months.

For this year, Ultra is targeting sales of around 60000 units with expected revenues of around Rs 1.8 billion, according to its director of marketing Deba Goshal.

So far Ultra's LEV products have been sold mainly in North and West India, and through some dealerships in South India. Along with Hero, Ultra has established a 150-strong dealer network in these areas, 15 of them in Karnataka.

The company on its own plans to go pan India this fiscal and ramp up the dealerships to 300, including a few in the eastern part of the country from where it has so far been absent. Over the next three years, Ultra plans to further up the number of dealerships to 500. It has chalked up around Rs 1.4 billion investments towards the set up of infrastructure and for distribution and marketing.

From April 2008 both Ultra Motor and Hero Exports have decided to go their own ways in selling light electric vehicles. Hero will localize their own product initiatives and Ultra will continue to sell the 'ultra powered technology' products under its own brand name.

"Almost 70 per cent of our planned investment will be towards marketing and distribution. Last year, we spent $3 million towards marketing and brand-building, this was primarily in print media in north and west India. This year, once we have a pan-India presence, we will be using other media too," informed Goshal. He was speaking with indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a press conference announcing the 'Ultra Motor world Health Earth Day Run 2008' to be held in Bangalore.

The event management company of the 'Ultra Motor world Health Earth Day Run 2008' is Bangalore-based Magnatrix, and the run is to be held in association with the Karnataka State Athletic Association on 20 April. Magnatrix plans to make this an annual event.

Ultra Motor Company is an electric vehicle company based in the UK with wholly owned subsidiaries in India, Russia, China, Taiwan and the USA. In India, Delhi-based Capital handles the creative work for Ultra, while the Initiative division of Lintas handles the media buying.