Its India subsidiary Honda Siel India (HSIL) is currently conducting feasibility studies soon after Mahindra & Mahindra made the move to build leisure boats and fibreglass power boats under its Mahindra Odyssea brand.
Masahiro Takedagaw, HSIL president and CEO, said: “Our power equipment and power products people are studying the Indian market. We know there’s a market and there is potential, particularly on the western side. So, we are studying.”
Honda’s initial plan is to sell outer boat engines. They range in size, producing small, medium and high horsepower boat engines, from compact 2HP-5HP ones for small inflatable boats, sail boats and fishing boats to large ones up to 225 HP for bay boats and yachts.
Globally, Honda’s boat building sector deals with big outer boat engines and personal watercraft such as water scooters. HSIL have so far focused on the manufacture and selling of generators, water pumps, engines, lawnmowers and brush cutters as well as its cars.
These products are made at HSIL plants in Uttrakhand, Puducherry and Greater Noida but the new boat engines will be sold in an imported form.
Mr Takedagaw said: “Our Greater Noida plant for power products has achieved full capacity and there is no room to produce them here.
