Q: You were one of the first companies to start the trend of Indo-Japanese collaboration but you decided to opt out of that later. What would make you go for a similar joint venture if not the same or a similar relationship again?

A: I would not do it again.

Q: You are an enthusiast of high-speed bikes. Would you like to have some kind of performance bikes, bigger than the Apache in TVS Motors’ portfolio?

A: Not significantly bigger. Apache or little above it is ultimately where we would stop. I do not think we would get rigged into the performer segments of 400-500 cc. So, it certainly will be less than 250 cc. That is about where we see the limit. I cannot quite say whether it will be 200 cc or 250 cc, but somewhere around there would be the limit of what we would do because we are focusing on commuters.

Q: You will stay focused there?

A: We will stay focused on commuters and expand across the world rather than look at going higher and higher in cc, range, or the number of wheels.

Q: You were also dabbling with the idea of coming with a quadricycle some time back?

A: We actually did not dabble with anything. We have made a very cursory examination of whether a quadricycle, if it had regulations like an autorickshaw, will lower safety and emission norms. So, there is a possibility d that was not there and hence we gave up on that idea very quickly.

Q: The three-wheelers that you launched goes up in terms of pricing close to Rs 1.5 lakh. So when you have the cargo carrier, do you see some threat from the lower-end of the four-wheeler business both for passenger carriers as well as cargo carriers?

A: It is always a gray area between a low-end four-wheeler and a high-end three-wheeler. That is not a serious issue as far as I am concerned. Small auto rickshaw can turn easily n a narrow space like in small towns and very narrow gullies. This you cannot do with a four-wheeler however small it is. So, there will be a demand for it, but certainly there is a limited demand. That demand is not going to grow infinitely because the minute you get on to a highway, or go from village to village, or village to town you got to use a small four-wheeler.

Q: In the overall Indian automotive industry scenario what are key challenges for someone who is leading one of the most significant companies in the Indian automotive industry?

A: Our serious concern would be infrastructure. Cities are getting chocked. A lot of our sale is in cities and then towns, which are also getting clocked. Unless you are going to deal with infrastructure, parking, multi-model transport, and make it possible for people to move around in the city, we will be affected ultimately.

Q: When the Flame controversy started you filed a litigation against Bajaj in the Bombay High Court as well as a application for revocation for patent at the IPAB, or Intellectual Property Appellate Board, are you going ahead with both of them?

A: Yes, we are going ahead with all of that.

Q: As far as the injunction to Bajaj Auto is concerned in the technology infringement case how long are you going to go ahead with that?

A: I don’t know. We have filed an appeal, so let the appeal be heard. It will take its due course. Let the judgment get delivered then we will talk about it.

Q: Is it over for TVS Motor to have a twin-spark engine in any of its product?

A: I don’t think so.

Q: But you must have lost financial resources during that period?

A: We lost t two months of production or about 30,000 vehicles in January and in February. I think in March we will sell 15,000, go on to 20,000 in April, and would like to sell 25,000 by September.

Q: Your arrangement with AVL, you must have paid them for the license for which they granted you?

A: The patent is actually for the three valves. The uniqueness of this engine does not come from the number of bolts or the number of spark plugs, it comes from the three-valve system where one valve works on lean burn and one valve gives you a rich mixture. You get good economy during city driving but you also have power when you open full throttle. We have simple words to describe it: The hottest looking bike and the hottest riding experience. I think we will deliver that to Flame.

Q: Has there been any difference in that riding experience with the subtraction of a plug?

A: You will find that it is equally good and in some way it is better.

Q: Is TVS Motor going to step up its in-house R&D capabilities?

A: We have consistently been spending more and more on R&D, almost 3-3.5% of sales on R&D. It will continue to grow at that pace.