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Hero Cycles Ltd.
Glorious Years 1956 - 2006
Produces 18500 Bicycles Everyday World’s no.1 Bicycle Company ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BVQI

SuperbrandsHero has already sold 100017493 Cycles.

Hero The Super Brand -- Globally, a select few, exceptionally powerful brands, are recognized as Super Brands. Some of the Indian brands have made it into this unique hall of fame, and amongst that coveted group features Hero Cycles.

The Hero Group
The Hero Group has done business differently right from the inception and that is what has helped us to achieve break-through in whatever product category we have ventured in. The Group's low key, but focused, style of management has earned the plaudits amidst investors, employees, vendors and dealers, as also worldwide recognition.

Hero CyclesThe Hero Group through the Hero Cycles Division was the first to introduce the concept of just-in-time inventory. The Group boasts of superb operational efficiencies. Every assembly line worker operates two machines simultaneously to save time and improve productivity. The fact that most of the machines are either developed or fabricated in-house, has resulted in low inventory levels.

In Hero Cycles Limited, the just-in-time inventory principle has been working since the beginning of production in the unit and is functional even till date. The vendors bring in the raw material and by the end of the day the finished product is rolled out of the factory. This is the Japanese style of production and in India , Hero is the first company to have mastered the art of the just-in-time inventory principle.

The Achievements
The Group and its management have acquired a number of accolades and achievements over the years:

Hero Group Management style has been acclaimed internationally by World Bank and BBC, UK. Hero Group is discussed as a case study at London Business School, UK and INSEAD, France. World Bank has acclaimed Hero Cycles as a role model in vendor development based on a world-wide study. The London Business School, UK, has done a case study on the Group as model of entrepreneurship.
Boston Consulting Group has ranked Hero Group as one of the top ten Business Houses on Economic value, in India.
HSBC-Merril Lynch has estimated Hero Group to be amongst the top value creators in the five years 2001-05.
The Hero Group is recognized as a long term partner and an ideal employer:
-- Hero Group's partnership with Honda Motors, Japan is over 20 years old
-- Hero Group's Partnership with Showa Manufacturing Corporation, Japan is over 18 years old.

Group Chairman, Mr Brijmohan Lall Munjal received the coveted "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year" award for 2001.
Hero Cycles was ranked 3rd amongst top Indian companies Review 2000 - Asia's leading companies award (2003) by Far Eastern Economic Review.
Hero Cycles is the World's largest manufacturer of Bicycles with annual sales volume of over 4.8 million cycles.
Hero Cycles Limited is a Guinness Book Record holder since 1986 as the world's largest manufacturer of bicycles, with annual sales volume of 5.2 million bicycles in FY 2004.
Engineering Exports Promotion Council has awarded Hero Cycles with the Best Exporter Award for the last 28 years in succession.

The lndian Cycle Industry
Bicycle was seen in India in the year 1890. Import of cycles, however, started in 1905 and continued for more than 50 years. Complete ban on imports was announced by the Government in July, 1953, but cycle kept on simmering in the country till 1961. In 1890, selling price of an imported bicycle was around Rs. 45/-; in 1917, during the First World War the price jumped to Rs. 500/- but dropped considerably, month by month and came down to Rs. 35/- or so (U. K. makes) and Rs. 15/- or so (Japanese models).

It would be interesting to mention that in 1919, five persons in Punjab imported cycles and used them on The Mall, Simla. These included one Bishop, Two military men and two contractors including S. Pala Singh Bhogal (Grand Father of Mr. M.S. Bhogal of Ludhiana ). Under special permission of the Governor, they were allowed to use cycles on 'The Mall' only for one hour in a day. They imported B.S.A. Cross Bar Cycle from U.K. and it used to be a kind of Mela at that particular hour on the Mall in Simla, the scene watched by hundreds of people everyday. Later, a firm was formed under the name of Singh & Co. with shops on Railway Road , Jalandhar and Bazar Vakillan, Hoshiarpur, which imported bicycles in the year 1930 onwards.