Jawa Bikes are coming back to India

Mahindra has recently confirmed that Jawa bikes will be launched in India soon. Upcoming bikes will be products with retro touch and they will follow-up on long tradition and popularity of Jawa motorcycles in India. Jawa bikes were imported to India by the company Ideal Jawa founded by Rustom and Farrokh Irani. Growing demand for Jawa motorcycles convinced the company to establish a factory with support of the king at the time, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar in Mysore in 1961.

Between 1961 and 1971, Ideal Jawa manufactured Jawa motorcycles under licence. The bikes quickly earned a reputation for being rugged, simple, and unbreakable. The Jawa 250 was a popular choice for urban youth and many Indian racers took home wins on the Jawa 250 while racing with these motorcycles on all kinds of terrain. Since 1971, the Ideal Jawa company manufactured and sold the new motorcycles under the name “Yezdi” with technical assistance from Jawa company. Classic Legends India Pvt Ltd, which is a part of Mahindra Group, signed a deal with Jawa company in 2016 to have rights to sell products under JAWA brand in India and in other South Asian countries.

—The author is Head of Commercial & Economic Section, Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi, India.