Hero Cycles sets up Design Center in Manchester

The company launched the centre on Friday. According to the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer by volume, the GDC located in Manchester, the home of British cycling comes as the company tries to increase its overseas revenue share from around 20 per cent to 60 per cent by 2018.

“As we focus on global expansion plans, we need to harness global talent and have a design center that is located closer to some of our targeted markets,” Pankaj Munjal, Chairman and MD of Hero Cycles said. “With major expansion plans in Europe, this design centre will help us produce technology and design to cater to differentiated products to suit the needs of different European markets.” 

“Our strategy is two-fold: To develop British brands in the UK, build them and export them across the Europe, Africa and India and secondly, to increase the value of our Indian-based bike brands,” Munjal pointed out. The company elaborated that the bikes designed at the GDC will be manufactured at Hero’s plant in Sri Lanka and exported to Europe, Africa and India. 

“The GDC will employ 25 of the industry’s best designers and marketers from across Europe,” the statement said. “The team will work across several bike segments including mountain bikes, road bikes, ladies and kids, as well as cutting edge electric bikes.”