(Picture: The Irani Family in front of the just started construction of the JAWA motor cycle factory).

"Apart from the motor cycle exports all over the world JAWA motor cycles began to be manufactured or assembled also outside Czechoslovakia. The largest project of production under license was realized in India. Initially JAWA motor cycles were just exported to the country agents at Delhi was the Baghwandas firm, in Bombay the Irani company. In the mid-fifties motor cycle imports were prohibited by the Government of India, permitted was, however, assembly of foreign machines by domestic engineering establishments. At that time the British Royal Enfield make has got a hold in the market, its motor cycles having been for years assembled in India. Former agent Rustom Irani decided to establish his own motor cycle production under license and following a market research chose JAWA. He knew no doubt what he was embarking upon and what he could expect from JAWA. He had, namely, in September 1951 organized a publicity trip of two policemen with JAWA motor cycles to Czechoslovakia and the feat was repeated by three Indians in 1955.

And so at Mysore had grown up a new JAWA motor cycle assembly plant - involved were two-fifties and the Pioneer ultra-lightweights. It was on March 5, 1961, that the first motor cycle left the gate of the Ideal JAWA Mysore company's plant. The only important difference from the machines made by the parent works was that they employed three circuit magnetic ignition to make starting independent of the condition of the storage battery. The first manager of the factory was Rustom Irani's brother Faruk. JAWA motor cycles were made under their mark until the licence agreement had run out. Since then they were sold under the marque Yezdi, which is a transcription of the Czech language term "jezdi" meaning "going or running". How did the Indian motor cycles come by that name? Czechoslovak technicians have been testing every motor cycle by way of final inspection. When satisfied, they used to remark each time that it was running at the mark was in existence. Some 30 thousand Yezdi motor cycles are produced yearly."

JAWA ALL OVER THE WORLD ~ From the “EVERGREEN JAWA 1929-1989” by Jan Kralik

IDEAL JAWA (INDIA) LIMITED popularly known as JAWA started operations in the year 1960 with the main objective to manufacture motorcycles. The idea was to deliver to the consumers a product that defined value for money. The logo "For Ever Bike For Ever Value" very aptly signified the ideology behind the product. Unfortunately, this motive remained unchanged even in the face of stiff competition.
 
Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd was located in Mysore. The company was built on spacious premises with the total land area of the complex was little over 26 acres. The Administrative/Production blocks cover an area of 33,468 square meters while the Utilities/Services Blocks cover an area of 35,846 square meters. The factory was housed in two buildings. The older factory, set up in 1960, had facilities for manufacture of components for 250cc motorcycles and its assembly. The second, more recent building, housed the facilities for manufacture of components for the 60cc and the 350cc motorcycles along with their assembly lines.
 
JAWA started commercial production of motorcycles in the year 1961 in technical collaboration with JAWA LIMITED of erstwhile Czechoslovakia and during the years 1961 to 1985 put up a good performance and achieved good profitability levels. The peak capacity utilization was 85% with 36,000 vehicles on a capacity of 42,000 vehicles per annum. The collaboration agreement with JAWA of Czechoslovakia which, among other things ensured continuous availability of technical knowledge from the said collaborator ended in 1968, by which time JAWA had established an in house expertise for achieving wholly indigenous manufacturing technology and also design of vehicles known under the brand name of "YEZDI".
 
JAWA had established market and had brand loyalty in Southern, Western and Northern regions and till 1985-86, they were in the seller's market. During 1960's Indian roads were ruled by scooters. Bikes were not at all popular due to mechanical issues and low mileage. During that period , there were only three serious players in the Indian motorcycles market. Bullet, Rajdoot and Ideal Jawa. Rajdoot was popular in rural areas because of sturdy suspension. Bullet and JAWA were popular in the urban market.

Yezdi was targeting the youth with the positioning of " Forever Bike Forever Value" . Since it was a seller's market, what ever that was produced were lapped up by Indian consumers. 1980's saw a sea change in the Indian two wheeler market. Japanese technology entered the Indian market through joint ventures. The market saw lot of new 100 cc bikes which were more fuel efficient and easy to ride. It was now that there was an aggressive entry into the domestic market by Japanese technology backed vehicles of 100cc category which were more fuel efficient, with sophisticated design, and state-of-the-art technology.

Ideal Jawa turned a blind eye to the changing market forces. It refused to accept the realities. When the consumer attitudes changed, Jawa refused to change. Customers wanted Bikes that offered mileage, style and comfort. Japanese bikes provided all that. This period also showed the shift of Indian consumers from scooters to motorcycles. Surprisingly, total motorcycle production year wise in India increased from 429,017 in 1988-89 to 1,125,958 in 1997-98 – about 300% increase in a decade in a country where motorcycles were frowned on! JAWA could neither maintain its market share or capture a share of the exponentially growing market.

Yezdi had serious mechanical issues, and electrical issues, compared to the Jap bikes. It was just a clone of a 50’s bike (Swinger) without any improvements. Yezdi realized this very late and came out with some design changes and new launches like Roadking which had a new styling. But it was too late. Failing market and labor problems took its toll on Ideal Jawa . Yezdi was laid to rest in 1995. Had Yezdi changed its products in tune with the customer needs, we would have seen a lot of this bike on Indian roads, but alas!

A brand that was once the heartthrob of Indian urban Youth gradually faded in to the annals of history.

A case of marketing myopia...