Hero MotoCorp has brought Ishaan Khatter on board to endorse the Hero Xoom, its scooter positioned at younger, urban riders. The move signals a calibrated attempt to refresh brand perception in a category increasingly driven by style, performance cues and youth appeal.
With scooters accounting for a significant share of India’s two-wheeler volumes, the battle has shifted from utility to aspiration—especially in urban markets.
The strategic read
This is a textbook celebrity alignment play, but with sharper targeting. Khatter’s appeal sits at the intersection of youth culture, fitness and urban mobility—attributes that mirror the positioning of performance scooters like Xoom.
For the industry, it reflects how legacy auto brands are recalibrating communication to compete with newer entrants and EV-first brands that already speak the language of younger consumers. The emphasis is less on mileage and more on identity.
Expect higher spends on digital video, influencer ecosystems and short-format content to amplify such partnerships, rather than relying purely on mass TV bursts.
What this signals for marketers
Endorsements are becoming more cohort-specific than mass-driven, especially in categories undergoing perception shifts.
Our insight
In two-wheelers, brand repositioning is now as critical as product innovation.