Honda realised there’s a huge scope of growth in the scooter segment too, which was then dominated by Bajaj Chetak. Honda’s technological upper hand reflected in the bike’s demand too, as Honda made one lakh units in just two years!

At that time, the CD 100’s reliability and fuel efficiency were ages ahead of its competition because most of the two-wheelers in the market were less advanced two-strokers. The new joint venture was called Hero Honda Motors Ltd., and the first product that came out of this marriage was the Hero Honda CD 100. In 1984, Honda teamed up with Hero MotoCorp, which back then was called Hero Cycles. Honda knew there’s a big potential in the country because the growing economy and population meant big capitalistic opportunities. The Japanese were known to have the sound engineering expertise and the fledgling Indian companies needed their assistance to grow the business. Back then, it was a common trend for many Japanese companies to seek partnership with Indian manufacturers to operate on our shores. In the mid-1980s, the two-wheeler business in India was booming with products from diverse companies like TVS-Suzuki and Kawasaki-Bajaj among others. From teaming up with multiple Indian brands to being strong enough to compete as a standalone manufacturer, here’s how Honda made a name for itself in our market: Its products - particularly the Activa - turned out to be so popular that they have become household names. Honda India gave a whole new meaning to reliability and refinement in the Indian two-wheeler industry.

Honda motorcycle scooter