Hero names Anuj Dua as a premium-segment chief

Hero MotoCorp has created a dedicated leadership role for its premium business, naming Anuj Dua as Chief Business Officer for the premium segment, as the world's largest two-wheeler maker mounts another push into the pricier motorcycles where it has long struggled.

Premium is Hero's persistent Achilles' heel. It dominates India's mass commuter market, with about a quarter of all two-wheeler sales, but has never been a serious player in premium motorcycles, a segment Royal Enfield rules with roughly 85% of bikes above 250cc, nor in scooters or exports. Putting a dedicated chief over the premium business signals Hero is treating that gap as a priority, even as past attempts have underwhelmed.

Dua, who rejoined Hero in 2025 after nearly nine years at Royal Enfield, will lead portfolio expansion, retail, partnerships and rider engagement across premium, lifestyle and performance categories. Hero said the push is backed by FY26 launches including the Xtreme 250R, XPulse 210 and the Harley-Davidson X440 T, built under its Harley tie-up, and by its Hero Premia retail network, now more than 130 stores. Executive Chairman Pawan Munjal framed premiumisation as a core growth pillar.

The bet comes after a difficult run. Hero's market share slid to a decade low and it lost a string of senior executives across 2024 and 2025, including its chief executive, previous chief business officer and chief technology officer, while its EV brand VIDA holds under 2% of the electric two-wheeler market, though Hero also owns 40% of Ather. Cracking premium against Royal Enfield, Bajaj and a resurgent TVS, with a brand still seen mainly as a commuter maker, is the harder half of the job, and whether dedicated leadership succeeds where earlier pushes stalled is the open question.