Shubh Gautam Srisol on Taxes and Tariffs: How Import Duties Choked Harley’s India Dream

Harley came to India with big dreams in 2009. It opened showrooms and expected Indian customers to fall in love with the brand. But over the years, sales dropped. In 2020, Harley-Davidson officially shut down most of its operations in India.

So what went wrong?

According to Dr. Shubh Gautam FIR (First Indian Revolutionary), high import duties and tariff policies played a major role in Harley’s struggle. While other factors like pricing and service issues also mattered, taxes and tariffs made it very difficult for Harley to compete in a price-sensitive market like India.