Needless to say, the ‘Make in India’ campaign is very important for our country and given the current economic fiasco caused by the pandemic, this initiative by the Central Government becomes all the more crucial. The campaign is going global as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently posted some pictures on his social media handles where he is seen riding a made-in-India Hero Cycles bike designed in the UK. He was witnessed riding a Hero Viking Pro bike in Nottingham, England.
The context
He shared the pictures on Twitter as a part of the announcement of a new cycling and walking initiative as part of his government’s anti-obesity strategy to fight Covid-19. Earlier this week, he unveiled plans for thousands of miles of new protected bike lanes, cycle training for everyone as part of a new fitness strategy.
His Twitter post read, “Cycling and walking have a huge role in tackling some of the health and environmental challenges that we face. Our £2bn cycling strategy will encourage more cycling with thousands of miles of new bike lanes, and training for those who want to learn.” He is also a Covid-19 survivor. He further added, “From helping people get fit and healthy and lowering their risk of illness, to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face. But to build a healthier, more active nation, we need the right infrastructure, training and support in place to give people the confidence to travel on two wheels. That’s why now is the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel — so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling.”
The cycle in consideration here is the Viking Pro which is a part of Hero Motors Company-owned Insync brand, designed in Manchester and made in India by Hero Cycles. Hero Cycles took over the brands Viking, Riddick and Ryedale and redesigned the range under the brand name Insync. PTI had a word with Pankaj Munjal, chairman and managing director of Hero Motors Company and he had this to say: “Insync is delighted that the Prime Minister rode one of our Viking bikes after announcing what will be a landmark moment for cycling in the UK. We strongly back all the measures announced in the strategy, a move we hope will see many more thousands of people taking to the roads on two wheels. Providing safer cycle routes, funding towards e-bikes and a bike repairs scheme will encourage even more riders to return to cycling or take it up for the first time, building on the stand-out success the industry has seen during the pandemic.”
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The company said its Insync range consists of 75 bikes and is the first to be designed at Hero Cycles Global Design Centre (HGD) in Manchester. Johnson’s new cycling plan is designed as a “comprehensive, long-term vision” to increase active travel, including cycle training for every child and adult who wants it, accessible through schools, local authorities or direct from cycle training schemes.