Royal Enfield turns 125: From an English cycle maker to stores in over 60 countries

Almost every group of friends has someone who owns a Royal Enfield, and if not, someone who wants one. How did this famous brand begin, and how did the company build such a name in India and the world?

Royal Enfield is one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world, with production that has continued without a break. The brand was born out of a small cycle business in England in the late 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution was gathering pace. The journey began with George Townsend and Company, which made bicycles and needles. In 1891, two industrialists, Albert Eadie and Bob Walker Smith, took over the business. In 1893 the company was renamed the Enfield Manufacturing Company.

In 1894 the company's bicycles were given the name Royal Enfield. In 1901 it built its first motorcycle. George Townsend's original business laid the foundation, but the Royal Enfield brand was founded by Albert Eadie and Bob Walker Smith.

In 1932 the English company introduced the Bullet model, which later became its signature. During the Second World War, the company made motorcycles and bicycles for the military. The English company then partnered Madras Motors to start Enfield India. In 1955 its production plant began operating in Madras. As demand for the Bullet grew in the Indian Army, the brand gained a firm footing in India.

In 1990 the Eicher Group took a 26 per cent stake in Enfield India. In 1993 Eicher raised its holding to 60 per cent and gained control of the company. In 1994 Enfield India was renamed Royal Enfield Motors.

Royal Enfield is today a company of Eicher Motors Limited. Siddhartha Lal, executive chairman of Eicher Motors, played a key part in reviving the brand. B. Govindarajan is currently managing director of Eicher Motors and CEO of Royal Enfield. The Eicher Motors board includes Siddhartha Lal, Vinod Aggarwal and B. Govindarajan, along with independent directors Inder Mohan Singh, S. Madhavan, Tejpreet S. Chopra, Arun Vasu and Ira Gupta.

Models such as the Bullet, Classic 350, Hunter 350, Interceptor 650 and Himalayan won Royal Enfield wide popularity in India. Through initiatives such as its riding community, Motoverse and Himalayan Odyssey, the company has kept customers, especially young people, engaged with the brand.

The company has more than 2,000 stores in India and about 850 stores across more than 60 countries worldwide. It has production plants at Oragadam and Vallam Vadagal near Chennai, and technical centres in Bruntingthorpe in Britain and in Chennai. It has CKD assembly facilities in Bangladesh, Nepal, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina and Colombia.

The company's strategy is to retain the heritage of its older designs while adopting modern technology, new engine capacities and expansion in world markets. Focusing on the 350cc to 750cc motorcycle segment, it launched models such as the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. The launch of the Flying Flea brand for electric mobility is also part of its further expansion.