Rajiv Bajaj on competition: We consume OATS (Ola, Ather, Tork & SmartE) for breakfast

Rajiv Bajaj, Chairman of Bajaj Auto attacked the electric vehicle start-ups in the country during the launch of the all-new Bajaj Pulsar 250 twins. The bossman fired a series of words against the start-up companies Ola Electric, Ather, Tork and SmartE.

Bajaj was talking about the future of electric vehicles when he said that he puts his trust in BET, which stands for Bajaj Enfield and TVS. He said that the good Indian two-wheeler manufacturers are not as lightweight as maybe some startups would like to think. He said that he trusts that accomplished manufacturers have demonstrated an excellent track record and will continue to do so in the future as well.

Also read: Royal Enfield engines cleaner than ones built by BMW, Ducati, KTM & more: We explain (Video)

Taking a direct dig on the electric vehicle start-up companies, Rajiv Bajaj said,

“There is a saying breakfast of the champions. Champions eat OATS for breakfast. OATS stands for Ola Ather, Tork and Smart E,” he added. “Indian two wheeler makers have battled the Japanese very successfully. In the 150cc above sports motorcycle category, Enfield, Bajaj and TVS have 70-80 percent share. We are not lightweight.”

In the recent past, the demand for electric vehicles in India has increased by a great deal. This is because of the favourable government policies towards electric vehicles. The government is providing various subsidies to increase the demand for electric vehicles in India. Start-up companies grabbed the opportunity to offer their products in the market. Whereas, established two-wheeler firms like Hero MotoCorp, Honda, TVS, Bajaj, Yamaha and Royal Enfield have shown restraint and reluctance to offer their products in the electric vehicle segment.

Champions eat OATS: Bajaj

Rajiv Bajaj mentioned that the established manufacturers like Bajaj Enfield and TVS are the champions and champions eat OATS, which stands for Ola Electric, Ather, Tork and SmartE. Taking a dig at them, Rajiv Bajaj said,

“There is a saying breakfast of the champions. Champions eat OATS for breakfast. OATS stands for Ola Ather, Torkd Smart E. Indian two wheeler makers have battled the Japanese very successfully. In the 150cc above sports motorcycle category, Enfield, Bajaj and TVS have 70-80 percent share. We are not lightweight.”

The biggest of these manufacturers is Ola that has made a promise to scale up the manufacturing to 10 million units per year. Bhavish Agarwal of Ola has even criticized mainstream legacy manufacturers for not doing enough to accelerate the shift to electric mobility. Rajiv Bajaj also took a dig at Ola by saying that the company is delaying deliveries on its scooters. Ola is yet to deliver a single scooter in the Indian market.

Bajaj did not reveal any plans for electric vehicles. However, he said that these legacy companies have a strong foundation that will allow them to foray into the new segment in the future. Bajaj does sell the Chetak EV in the Indian market, which is its only offering in the EV segment.

Rajiv Bajaj made these comments during the launch of the all-new Bajaj Pulsar twins yesterday. The all-new Bajaj Pulsar 250 is available in two variants – N250 and F250. The F250 will replace the iconic Bajaj Pulsar 220F from the line-up.

Also read: Upcoming Jeep H6 7-seat SUV spied alongside Compass & Renegade