Sun Honda, a top player in the motorcycle dealership category, is located in Baripada, Mayurbhanj. Over the course of its journey, the dealership has established a firm foothold in the industry. The man behind this venture is a young entrepreneur, Anesh Agarwal, proprietor of Sun Automobiles (Sun Honda). He has done MBA and later worked in JP Morgan Chase for two years in Bangalore but had to quit the job to join his family business. With a vision to do something all by himself, he opted for a Honda two-wheeler dealership and has been running this business successfully for over a decade. In an interaction with Orissa POST, Agarwal shares his entrepreneurial journey.
The two-wheeler market in India is on a roll riding on the back of rural sales growth. Are you also witnessing this surge in sales in the Odisha market?
It is a known fact that a big share of two-wheeler sales comes from the rural market. Mayurbhanj, being a rural district, has a unique potential for growth in its economy. So yes, the market has witnessed a surge in sales. But factors like change in cultivation and weather changes have their effects on the rural market. So we cannot just depend on the rural background, there are loads of other factors that need to be considered.
What are the leading challenges that the industry is facing?
Honda family in the last two years has witnessed a huge crunch in supply on account of which the supply couldn’t meet the demand. In this scenario, it was challenging to maintain the leading position in the market. Also, availability of skilled manpower, evolving customer needs and inflation are key challenges the industry is facing.
Last year, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India unveiled its EV roadmap. What are your views about electric vehicles and how excited are you regarding this green transition?
The roadmap is a blueprint for developing EV business structure in India, which includes new EV technologies and infrastructure. Of course, I am eagerly waiting for the launch of Honda EV. This green transition is a much required step for the world as it has benefits like lower running cost, low maintenance, zero tailpipe emission, less air-pollution, less noise and many more.
How has been your journey so far? What do you think is your USP? How important is customer satisfaction in this line of business?
My journey so far has been really amazing. I have garnered a lot of knowledge working in this field and am still learning. As far as our USP in concerned, I believe in relationship building. One has to consider every customer’s requirement and try to fulfill their needs as much as possible. Customer satisfaction is the most critical challenge in this line of business. At the time of servicing, we take proper care which in return cements the trust in customers’ hearts that they are at the best place and that they can rely on us for further services.
As an entrepreneur, why did you choose to enter this line of business? What advice will you give to new entrants in the two-wheeler market?
Rice milling and trading in rice is my family business. So as discussed earlier, with a vision to do something by myself and different from my family business, I opted for Honda due to the quality of products. For new entrants, I will suggest developing an appropriate business module. Marketing is one of the most crucial aspects to prepare the complete layout and strategies to attract customers with unique features. You can offer discounts and deals to influence customers to make purchases. Most importantly, having a friendly relation with the media is essential running a successful business.
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