Indians Riding In Style! Premium Bikes To Hit 22% Of Sales By 2030 As Young Buyers Upgrade

India’s motorcycle market is rapidly shifting focus toward higher-end models, with premium motorcycles expected to make up 22% of total two-wheeler sales by FY2030, according to a report by Crisil Intelligence.

The premium segment — defined as bikes with engine capacities above 150cc — already captured a 19% share last fiscal, up from just 14% in FY2019.

During the same period, sales of premium motorcycles grew from 19 lakh units to 23 lakh units, even surpassing pre-Covid levels by 22%. In contrast, overall two-wheeler sales are still at 94% of pre-pandemic levels, and the broader motorcycle category has recovered only 90%.

Crisil attributes this uptrend in the premium segment to rising disposable incomes, increasing global exposure among Indian consumers, and a growing preference for aspirational products — especially among younger buyers.

“The shift is being driven by consumers who retained strong purchasing power even during the pandemic,” said Pushan Sharma, Director at Crisil Intelligence. “What’s helping further is the wider variety of models available — the number of premium motorcycle models rose to 35 last fiscal, up from 23 in FY2019.”

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Entry-level segment going downhill

At the other end of the spectrum, the once-dominant economy segment is losing steam. Entry-level motorcycles — those with lower engine capacities — saw their market share shrink sharply to 46% last fiscal from 62% in FY2019. Volumes fell from 84 lakh units to 56 lakh units during the same period.

A key factor behind this decline is muted rural demand and significant price hikes, Crisil said.

“Rural income growth has been sluggish, while the price of economy motorcycles has jumped by 65–70% over the last few years,” said Mohit Adnani, Associate Director at Crisil Intelligence. “The price increase stems from regulatory upgrades like BS-VI emission norms, new safety features, and commodity inflation.”

Because of these challenges, sales in the economy segment recovered to only 67% of pre-Covid levels in the last fiscal year.

As India’s two-wheeler landscape evolves, the report suggests that the premium category will continue to ride ahead — driven by macroeconomic tailwinds, consumer aspirations, and greater product variety — even as the entry-level market faces headwinds from affordability and slowing rural growth.