With 40% buyers under 35, Bajaj Chetak bets on youth for growth

When Bajaj Auto revived the Chetak nameplate as an electric scooter in 2020, the move was read by many as a nostalgic callback, an attempt to cash in on a brand many Indians had grown up with. 

Five years later, the company is keen to underline that Chetak’s traction in the electric two-wheeler market has less to do with sentiment and more to do with scale, infrastructure and old-fashioned execution.

At a press conference in Pune this week, Bajaj Auto said Chetak is approaching the three-lakh-unit mark, even as the electric two-wheeler category grows unevenly. 

The brand noted that while the overall industry expanded by 11%, Chetak grew 38% over the same period. Nearly 80% of its cumulative sales have come in the past two years alone, highlighting how quickly India’s EV adoption curve is accelerating.

To date, Bajaj claims close to six lakh Chetak riders on Indian roads.

That momentum is what the company is now looking to consolidate with the launch of the Chetak C25, a lower-capacity, city-focused electric scooter priced at Rs 91,399, inclusive of Central government subsidy. Unlike the 35 Series, which offers multiple trims, the C25 is being introduced as a single variant for now.

Who’s buying Chetak today, and how is it shaping their marketing strategy?

Bajaj says 40% of Chetak buyers today are under the age of 35, a demographic that traditionally skewed towards lighter, plastic-bodied scooters or petrol motorcycles. 

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That younger skew is also influencing how Bajaj is marketing the new Chetak. Instead of following a fixed media split, the company says it is letting the product narrative dictate the channel mix. 

For the C25 model in particular, positioned as a more youthful, stylish and city-friendly scooter, digital, social and influencer-led platforms form the bulk of the marketing push. 

Traditional media and outdoor, Bajaj says, are not a priority at this stage. “Allocating fixed percentages doesn’t work anymore,” Sumeet Narang, president of marketing at Bajaj Auto Ltd, explained, adding that the C25’s tone and audience naturally lend themselves to social-first storytelling rather than mass-media amplification.

Bajaj has no celebrity endorsement planned for Chetak at present. “We have a story of our own to tell,” Narang said, adding that while celebrities can be effective, the brand is focused on establishing credibility through product experience.

Distribution as a differentiator

One of Bajaj’s strongest claims is distribution depth. Chetak is now present across more than 4,200 touchpoints and operates in over 500 cities. Of these, a growing share comes from Chetak-exclusive Experience Centres, which retail only electric scooters, alongside Bajaj’s multi-product dealerships.

According to Narang, the company is seeing demand cut across metros, Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. “This whole differentiation is collapsing,” he said. “If the Chetak meets the need for somebody in a metro as well as somebody in a small town, growth comes from everywhere.”

Bajaj has also pushed Chetak into e-commerce, becoming one of the first EV two-wheeler brands to sell directly via Amazon and Flipkart, a move aimed at reducing friction in discovery and booking.

Bajaj expects full coverage in close to 10 states by the end of the month and a pan-India rollout by mid-next month. Production, the company noted, began after regulatory certification came through on January 6.

From premium EV to everyday mobility

The C25 model is positioned as a more accessible sibling within the Chetak portfolio, which currently spans the 35 and 30 Series. Powered by a 2.5 kWh battery, it offers a claimed range of up to 113 km, a top speed of 55 kmph, and 80% charging in about 2.25 hours.

Bajaj says the scooter is designed for short, frequent city commutes rather than performance-led riding.

Importantly, the company has continued with one of Chetak’s key design decisions: compatibility with a standard 5-ampere, three-pin plug. 

In a market still grappling with uneven public charging infrastructure, Bajaj argues that avoiding fast-charging dependency lowers anxiety for first-time EV buyers.

“You have an infinite number of these plugs across the country,” a company spokesperson said, adding that independent charging networks such as Bolt further expand access. The C25 comes with a 750W charger, enabling a 0–80% charge in roughly two hours.

The warranty remains uniform across the Chetak range for three years. Scheduled service costs are estimated between Rs.300 and Rs. 400, with the first service at 1,000 km, followed by 5,000 km intervals thereafter, figures Bajaj believes help counter lingering concerns around EV ownership costs.

Selling legacy without leaning on nostalgia

For Bajaj, the bigger challenge has been balancing the weight of Chetak’s legacy with the expectations of a new EV buyer.

“Nostalgia marketing can be very cute and romantic, but you don’t buy brands and products because of nostalgia,” Narang said during a one-on-one interaction. “You’re putting your hard-earned money over there.”

Instead, Bajaj has leaned into what it calls Chetak’s original values: metal body construction, durability, and riding confidence, reframing them for today’s conditions. 

“Our riding conditions are tougher than what they might have been 30 years back,” Narang said. “That’s why we sum up our marketing campaign as fully life-proof.”

After-sales and the EV trust gap

Service reliability remains a major trust marker in the EV category, particularly beyond metros. Bajaj claims parity between its sales and service footprint, with a stated goal of returning any Chetak to customers within 24 hours of service.

“We’re already clocking more than 90% on this,” Narang said. “That’s exactly what customers want. If there is an issue, can you resolve it quickly?”

The brand is also rethinking its media mix accordingly. For the younger, more stylised C25, Bajaj is skewing heavily towards digital, social and influencer-led communication, with little focus on traditional or outdoor media at this stage.

A broader EV play

The brand is fully geared to expand the lineup based on market feedback, much like the tiered structure of its 35 Series.

More than five decades after the original Chetak first rolled out in 1972, its comeback depends less on nostalgia and more on whether it can deliver at scale, with reliable service, for India’s everyday EV rider.