Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Hamaaraa Bajaaj

(Thanks to Shantanu for the link, other food for thought that he sent by e-mail.)

If you try searching Bajaj on google, the first link that it will throw up is Bajaj Auto. Quite satisfactory to your expectation? Well, hang on - check what the description reads, "Manufacturer of motorcycles and Vespa-style scooters. India," I rubbed my eyes once, and tried to make a sense out of that.

It took me some time to accept what the Wikipedia search on Vespa resulted in- the page says that the scooter technology was transferred to Bajaj in India. Then what happened to the classic-vintage LML Vespa? If you read the article further, it says, Bajaj used to sell these Vespa scooters in North America. And another Vespa clone manufacturer in India is LML, which manufactures the Stella range of Vespa clones that are sold in the USA.

Confusing: this scooter business.

I am no great fan of scooters. They are too heavy and bulky for me to handle. And I don't particularly like the concept of gear-switching controls in left hand. I prefer my slim Yamaha. But I used to like the "buland bhaarat kI buland tasavIr - hamaaraa Bajaaj" jingle.

Whatever. It still does not quite make sense why Bajaj chose to have that tag-line to their website advt.

It's like saying 'Canon Xerox machine'! What they really mean is a copier. Yeah, I guess so, :-)

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