Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield (New as paperback)

Not being particularly brand conscious, I have always wondered what is about Royal Enfield that makes full grown men and some women go all misty-eyed when talking about their beloved Bullets and their Interceptors. I picked up Amrit Raj’s book Indian Icon, more with the intention of finding an answer to this mystery rather than any great fascination with bikes. But 25 pages into the book amidst stories of Thankamani and Paul Smith and Bullet Bose, I was properly hooked. By the end I got my answer about the pull of this brand but I also had the satisfaction of a weekend well spent. This is a racy read with enough in it for the connoisseur as well as for the amateur. It also brings to the forefront some of Indian business’s less known figures like Siddhartha Lal and the late Rudratej Singh. The best part though is the sheer ease of the narrative which makes it purr like a Royal Enfield engine!

Frankly I was a guy who always read biographies of US based entrepreneurs, as the book gives a good detail of how they used to solve problems. This is the first book of an indian biz man that I came across where you took through the journey of how the entrepreneurs actually solved the problem at the ground level. Specially the part where Cost control, focus on product, the way the brand story came up all added up very well. It was not just a review of events, but you went into details of how the decisions were taken and what backdrops. In general the startup system thinks about blowing money, increasing top line and not worrying about profits. But for every 1000 that try that only 1 succeeds and rest close. The focus on profitability, good execution, focus & focus on sustainable growth in the startup ecosystem in the country is missing. Stories like that of Sid encourage us to think in that direction, and know that biz can be built with a long term sustainable vision. This was the biggest take away for me. Would look forward to reading more from what you will write in the future!

As a biker who owns RE Thunderbird, I saw the ad of this book and bought it immediately. Finished reading it in short time. It makes a good overall reading but I still think it could have been lot more. Penning down some hits & misses from my perspective. Again the misses may seem long but its just a fan wanting more and should not take anything away from a great effort. And definitely recommend buying this book. HITS 1. The book makes a good overall read and captures well the vision of Siddharth Lal & the story of Royal Enfield 2. The book doesn't overly sugar coat RE story and calls out the decision, dilemmas and conflicts well Missses 1. The timelines moves a bit more back n forth and so it can be a little bit confusing. What could have helped the book was some timeline chart of key RE milestones 2. As a Thunderbird 500 owner, I would have loved a chapter dedicated to its story. It covers bullet, classic and Himalayan only. That is a big negative for me. 3. Some pictures on the various models along with storyline would have been welcome 4. The all round challenge that RE is facing now from all the new models that are shrinking its mid segment uniqueness could have been more detailed. It is merely touched upon. 5. The 2018 + journey and opportunity get's missed. I guess the book draft was possibly finished in Oct 2019 and hence this crisp mention in last chapter. 6. If RE is about the spirit of adventure, then this book should have captured some of the adventures and RiderMania + other events in some more detail

There are multiple books on Indian Automotive scene and this one just got added to the list. The author has made an honest attempt to capture the complete storyline of the brand in India. Over the course of nicely drafted chapters, author has captured how a failed company was turned around and became the trend setter. Important business and marketing lessons in the book. Also a reflection that Royal Enfield is different. The book captures some of the Indian Automotive family battles as well. I would have loved to hear more on latest challenges as well. Maybe more on the Jawa Challenge or the KTM one. The same.is though discussed but just touched upon.

It’s rare to find an Indian brand that has the potential to become a global cult brand. There are quite a few Indian B2B companies and corporate brands that are known around the world, but there are only a handful B2C Indian brands, that have either become or have the potential to become global icons. Amrit Raj brings alive the inherent potential in the Royal Enfield brand in being able to achieve this rare distinction. While this book provides great material for students of brand and marketing, who are looking for relatable Indian case studies, it is also a great read as it speaks directly to the Motorcyle enthusiast as well. I literally finished it over a weekend, reading late into the night. Almost like one would read a thriller. 😊 Kudos to Amrit for his research and excellent story telling. Highly recommend.

I have never been a biking enthusiast. Heck, I never even liked riding on one! But, Amrit Raj's Indian Icon - A cult called Royal Enfield, has me converted, for life! A book about a bike... a bike that's loved, even reverred, by its fans. But then, it's not just a book about a bike. It's the story of a brand, ripe with drama, emotions and uncomfortable truths, all laid down with unflinching candor. It's a story that inspires as much as it intrigues. What a delectable read! The next time I hear that thump on the road, guess I won't be annoyed. In fact, I might just have a smile on me!

Icon is a well detailed account of a startup journey within a large company. That it accounts for the iconic Royal Enfield’s stratospheric growth with all it’s warts and has some informative detailed interviews with all relevant insiders makes the read a joyful romp across India and the world where it was created. Absolute must read.

Royal Enfield’s iconic status explained. If you want to understand the ineffable spirit at the heart of Royal Enfield’s success then you have to read this superbly well researched and written book. On one level, Amrit Raj has objectively explained the business success of Royal Enfield. At another level, he has made it clear that those in charge at Royal Enfield have a precious flame to maintain if the brand is to maintain its aura and cult status.

Awesome history book on RE. If you own an RE or thinking about buying one this is a great read.

Excellent book chartering the resurgence of Royal Enfield in India. Very well written and highly recommended to any Royal Enfiel officianado!

Delivery was good good selection of books

Firstly, I am a Royal Enfield fan. What they have done and achieved is remarkable. Having seen this book and read the other reviews here, I was really looking forward to settling down and enjoying the ride with this one. It starts off well, the preface is really entertaining with short stories about why people love Royal Enfield bikes. After a couple of hours of solid reading though, I could take no more. I was looking forward to an informative, entertaining read that would hopefully enlighten me further about my preferred motorcycle brand. For the right person, who wants to understand business models and strategy and how they were applied, in some depth , it is more than likely a thoroughly enlightening book, but if you are like me and just wanted some entertaining, light but factual reading about this popular brand name then this will not be the book for you either. I can't say that is is a bad book, it obviously isn't from the other reviewers comments, but for me, just too heavily business practice orientated and more like a text book I would expect to be given as suggested reading material for some form of business diploma. I tried, and I tried again but I found it just to tedious to read to get any kind of enjoyment from it. Sorry... I really was looking forward to getting stuck in to this but, as the title above says just not what I hoped it would be!