Abstract

The case ‘Harley Davidson Hits a Roadblock in India – Takes a U-turn’ is about the exit strategy adopted by Harley Davidson Inc. (Harley) in India. The iconic American motorcycle brand had ventured into India in 2009 with its heavyweight cruiser bikes. But it was not able to capture the market due to the high cost of its bikes and its failure to read the Indian mindset. The case dwells on the circumstances that led to Harley entering the Indian market and the challenges faced by it. Burdened with increasing losses, Harley had decided to exit the Indian market as part of the ‘rewire strategy’ adopted by its parent company. The case details the strategy adopted by Harley and discusses its planned exit and how it later decided to shelve its exit plan and enter instead into a strategic alliance with Hero MotoCorp to sell and service its bikes and other merchandise in the Indian market. It remains to be seen whether the strategic alliance with the Hero Group will bring Harley success.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate the concept of exit strategy that global companies deploy in unsuccessful markets.
• Understand how strategic alliances with local partners help global companies to compete in the local markets.
• Analyze the concept of the rewire strategy adopted by the global companies.

Keywords

Harley Davidson; Hero MotoCorp; Rewire Strategy: Strategic Alliance; Exit Strategy; Cruiser Bikes; Iconic Brand; Strategic Licensing Agreement; Premium Motorcycles