Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, flagged the steep taxation on commuter motorcycles and sought a more manageable GST rate.
The Bajaj MD blamed the rise in the price of commuter motorcycles on overregulation and high taxation.
He urged the Union government to consider a lower tax rate on commuter motorcycles to 18 percent from the current 28 percent. “Two-wheeler volumes have not yet recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels,” he told reporters on May 3 at the launch event of the all-new 400cc Pulsar motorcycle.
“Why do we have to pay a GST of 28 percent? Bajaj asked while addressing reporters during the launch event, adding “You look at ASEAN countries typical equivalent of GST is 8 percent and 14 percent.”
“On one hand we want regulations at the highest level in terms of emissions, which is fine. But then the government should reconsider the GST at 12-18 percent and not at 28 percent,” he said.
The country’s largest two-wheeler maker, Bajaj Auto on May 3 unveiled the most powerful and feature-rich Pulsar ever with an introductory price of Rs 1.85 lakh.
The latest offering from the Pune-based automaker, Pulsar NS400Z, promises to take on the likes of the Dominar 400, KTM 390 Duke and the Triumph Speed 400 — all positioned in the middle-weight offering from the company.
Bajaj Auto has sold 1.8 crore Pulsars to date, and the brand has earned Rs 10,000 crore since its unveiling in 2001.
The motorcycle boasts features like a ride-by-wire throttle, a switchable traction control system, and four ride modes – Sport, Rain, Road, and Off-road. It also gets full LED lighting, a digital instrument cluster with a separate display for turn-by-turn navigation, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Bajaj Auto has sold 1.8 crore Pulsars to date, and the brand has earned Rs 10,000 crore since its unveiling in 2001.
Bajaj Auto reported a 35 percent year-on-year (YoY) rise in net profit at Rs 1,936 crore for the March quarter compared with Rs 1,433 crore in the same quarter last year. Revenue from operations for the quarter rose 29 percent YoY to Rs 11,485 crore from Rs 8,905 crore in the same quarter last year.
