Bajaj Auto unveils 220cc bike 'Pulsar DTS-Fi'

New Delhi, June 25 (UNI) Two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto today forayed into the mid-segment market with the launch of its 220cc Pulsar DTS-Fi (Digital Twin Spark-Fuel injected) bike and plans to ramp up its production capacity to about 70,000 units by October.

The second-largest bike maker wants to focus on the higher-end of the two-wheeler market. ''We wish to go all the way to 1,000 cc bikes,'' Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said at the launch.

''We want to sell 2,000 bikes every month and will ramp up our production capacity to 60,000-70,000 units by October this year,'' he told reporters here The company produced 25,000 units this month as against 20,000 units last month, Mr Bajaj added.

The new Pulsar will be available at exclusive probiking showrooms at Rs 81,280 (ex-showrooms, New Delhi).

Bajaj Auto sold 1,67,008 motorbikes in May, a drop of 15 per cent from the year earlier.

Mr Bajaj said a new bike, to be manafactured at its Aurangabad plant with a capacity of 50,000 units a year, is aimed at weaning customers from its lower-margin 100cc bikes.

Bajaj, which trails leader Hero Honda Motors with 34 per cent of the motorbike market, said it expects sales to rise 10 per cent to three million units in the year to March 2008.

UNI