Polaris displayed four products. The first was the 6×6 ATV Sportsman (All Terrain Vehicle) that goes off road in marshy, hilly, dune and snow-clad weather/road conditions, also known as Bigg boss. “The USP of the vehicle is its tyre which can be changed to a track as per the road condition, and six beefy drive shafts deliver consistent power to all the six wheels,” said Pankaj Dubey, Country Head and Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd.
The second vehicle on display was the military ranger. “It is a high-speed adventure vehicle and we are displaying the 900 series diesel variant here. It is gaining popularity, particularly because of its Pallet-size rear dump box which has gas-assist dumping operation and features exclusive Lock & Ride cargo system that accommodates many hard-working accessories that go on and off in seconds,” beamed Dubey.
The third product was a 6×6 ranger with capability to carry soldiers if they are wounded and can place communication and firefighting systems on it. The fourth vehicle displayed was the Dagor. It is a military version and is a specially developed product being used by the US forces.
“It’s an off road vehicle with a seating capacity of 9 soldiers and it can carry upto 1.5 tonnes of weight. It has been bought here only to be displayed at the expo but will go back to USA. We have seen a lot interest in the Dagor from our own armed forces here during the expo,” Dubey disclosed.
Polaris India was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc. (USA), which designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, innovative ATVs, the Polaris Ranger (for recreational and utility use), snowmobiles, motorcycles and electric-powered vehicles. It launched its flagship products, including ATVs, Polaris Ranger, etc., in India in 2011.
Today Polaris India has a strong network of 14 dealerships, two international dealerships in Kazakhstan and Nepal, eight PRS (Polaris Riderzstop) and 46 Polaris Experience Zones (off-road tracks) to take the off road riding culture way ahead. The dealerships are located at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Dimapur, Srinagar, Guwahati and New Delhi.
“Currently defence contributes to 15-20 per cent of Polaris’ total revenues, but over the next few years due to the thrust on speed, technology and special focus on vehicles that can work on all terrains, we believe the share should grow up to 40 per cent,” added Dubey.