Hero Cycles May Acquire Atlas, Munjal family shows interest in buying Atlas Cycles

Atlas Cycles is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the country. But it recently closed its last manufacturing unit due to lack of funds. But soon the company's days may change.
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Wikipedia

Financial crisis: Atlas could acquire Cycles. Hero Cycles of the Munjal family has shown interest in purchasing Atlas Cycles. Pankaj Munjal, chairman of the country's largest bicycle company Hero Cycles, has started talks with the promoters of Atlas Cycles. Hero Cycles has a 43 percent share in the Indian bicycle market.

Image Credit: The Hindu Business Line
Image Credit: The Hindu Business Line

Munjal said that Hero is buying brands worldwide. Hero Zero is a net-debt company with a cash reserve of over Rs 1,000 crore. If someone wants to sell their brand, we are ready for that. We need to buy brands. As for Atlas, he said, we have an eye on him. But so far no concrete progress has been made in this regard. Atlas began to incur losses in 2014. On June 3, the company closed the Sahibabad factory. Incidentally, that day was World Bicycle Day. The plant started in 1989 and was the company's last operation plant. It had the capacity to make more than 2 lakh bicycles every month.

Hero Cycles has made many acquisitions in the past as well

Image Credit: Giant Bicycles
Image Credit: Giant Bicycles

Acquisitions are nothing for Hero Cycles. In 2015, the company bought the Firefox bikes business. The deal was done in cash and the amount was not made public. In 2016, the company bought 60 percent equity in Sri Lankan bicycle company BSH. A few days earlier, Hero Cycles had also bought a stake in Britain's Avocet Sports. In January this year, the company also bought a stake in Germany-based HNF Nikolai, a manufacturer of premium e-bikes. The aim was to increase its share in the global bicycle market.

Company is doing well in the domestic market

Image Credit: Money Control
Image Credit: Money Control

Munjal said that despite the difficult economic situation, the company is doing well in the domestic market. In states like Bihar and Odisha, the demand for bicycles is increasing with the return of migrant laborers. Apart from this, there is a great demand for bicycles related to children and lifestyle. The company has a global production capacity of 6 million bicycles, of which around 5 million have a capacity in India. By the first quarter of next year, the company wants to reach 1 crore and an investment of Rs 400 crore is being made for it.

Disruption of the world from China is beneficial for the hero

Image Credit: Youtube
Image Credit: Youtube

Munjal hopes that the company's business will grow worldwide as there is an atmosphere of anger against Chinese companies due to coronavirus infection. He said people all over the world want to avoid Chinese-made goods. They want a second manufacturing source and hub. The hero fits into this and that is why we are expanding ourselves.

Like and Follow us on :

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
Since independence
www.sinceindependence.com