Connected Car
After three big collaborative failures — Mahindra-Renault (2007-10), Volkswagen-Tata (2017) and Ford-Mahindra (2019) — the recent success of Toyota-Suzuki in cars and TVS-BMW Motorrad for motorcycles has shown that co-badging can be the way forward for forging alliances. Analysts said the earlier tie-ups might not have worked as they aimed at creating a new, joint product, but the Toyota-Suzuki and TVS-BMW Motorrad strategy of co-badging of products offered customers models they were already familiar with. Of these, BMW Motorrad has sold more than 21,000 motorcycles in India and exported over 50,000 motorcycles. Both companies are now expanding the partnership and jointly developing new platforms and future technologies, including electric vehicles. On why the TVS-BMW partnership is working so well, he added that a key factor is the strategic fit between both the partners.