Bajaj Auto launches Chetak C25, reworks media mix with digital at the core

Pune: The launch of the Bajaj Chetak C25 marks a clear shift in how Bajaj Auto is approaching brand building in the electric two-wheeler category. 

Positioned as a stylish, agile electric scooter built for urban mobility, the Chetak C25 features a metal mono-body construction, a 2.5 kWh battery delivering a claimed range of up to 113 km, and a top speed of 55 km/h. 

Priced at Rs 91,399, it is designed for everyday city use and will be available across Chetak stores pan India

While the product itself is positioned as an agile, city-friendly electric scooter, the larger story sits in how the brand has restructured its marketing priorities around changing consumer behaviour.

At the heart of this shift is a simple realisation: the electric scooter buyer is no longer discovering brands through traditional mass media in the way they once did.

Digital-first, because attention no longer scales

Sumeet Narang, President - Marketing, Bajaj Auto, put it plainly: “The reality today is that it is a challenge trying to get meaningful frequency of your message. You can’t just buy frequency today any longer.”

Bajaj Chetak’s media mix today is overwhelmingly digital. According to Narang, digital leads across the entire funnel, from awareness to conversion, with creators forming a core part of that ecosystem. “Our lead medium is digital,” he said, adding that this applies “across the entire spectrum, from top, mid, and bottom funnel.”

This digital focus is not driven by cost efficiency alone. It is rooted in how scooter buyers behave today. Narang pointed out that while only around 20-25% of scooters sold are electric, consideration is far higher. “Anybody who is looking at buying a scooter, I would say eight out of ten people would definitely consider an electric,” he told BestMediaInfo.com.

This gap between consideration and purchase is where Bajaj sees its primary marketing challenge. The role of communication, therefore, is not to introduce electric scooters but to build reassurance and confidence.

Digital allows the brand to do this through varied formats, messages and voices. “Digital and creators, influencers from auto, lifestyle, youth, humour are important channels for us,” Narang explained. The focus is on engagement, not repetition.

Why TV is still used, but sparingly

Television, however, has not been completely removed from the plan. Its role has simply changed. Bajaj now uses TV selectively, when the objective demands a large-scale impact rather than a sustained presence.

“We come on to TV quite sparingly, when there is a requirement,” Narang said. During festive periods, for example, the brand has leaned on television to achieve broader reach. “We wanted a larger reach and bigger impact,” he added.

This approach reflects a shift away from habitual TV buying. Television is no longer the default layer in every campaign but a tactical lever deployed when scale is essential.

Print has largely exited the mix

Print, on the other hand, plays almost no role in the strategy, including the launch of Chetak C25. Narang is unambiguous on this front. “Print is negligible. We hardly use print,” he said.

This is less a statement against print as a medium and more a reflection of where EV buyers now seek information. Discovery, comparison and validation increasingly happen online through search, video and social platforms. Print does not meaningfully influence these moments.

As a result, Bajaj has chosen not to allocate significant resources to a channel that does not move the needle for its audience.

Measuring impact without over-optimising

Despite its digital-heavy approach, Bajaj is cautious about becoming overly data-driven at the cost of perspective. Narang acknowledged that digital offers metrics at every level, but not all of them are equally useful.

“Digital gives you numbers for every little detail, but understanding impact at a larger level is still a challenge,” he said. Instead of obsessing over individual creative performance, the brand evaluates campaigns holistically.

Certain indicators, however, matter more than others. “VTR is a metric I look at very closely,” Narang noted, calling it an early endorsement of engagement. He also tracks search query data closely, saying it has become “a very good surrogate of interest in a brand,” especially because it correlates with store walk-ins.

Brand philosophy 

Early in the launch narrative, Rishabh Bajaj, the youngest of the Bajaj legacy and the son of Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj, has been visibly front-footing the product. 

This is the first time he has taken such a public, lead-facing role for the brand, and it has been with the Chetak C25, the scooter positioned for a younger, Gen Z-oriented urban audience.

Despite this visible generational shift in representation, Rishabh has been clear that the underlying philosophy of the brand remains unchanged.

“Chetak stands for reliability,” he said. “Every Bajaj product has stood for reliability across decades, and that will not change.”

This positioning mirrors how Bajaj described the C25 internally: a scooter that brings a “younger, cooler expression” to the brand while staying rooted in Chetak’s core DNA of solidity, sturdiness and reliability 

The youth appeal of the C25, according to him, comes through its design language, colour palette and ease of use, rather than any change in values or intent. Bajaj’s view is that even as the EV space fills up with newer, flashier entrants, long-term trust and product credibility continue to matter, especially in family-led purchase decisions.

Rishabh has also stressed that Bajaj Auto does not see brand philosophy as something that shifts with leadership or target segments. “As a company, our philosophy is consistent, from the chairman right down to the watchman,” he said, underlining the belief that values are not adjusted to chase younger audiences.

At the same time, he indicated that Chetak will increasingly lean into community-led marketing approaches, particularly as the brand engages more closely with younger riders. The intent is to build relevance through shared usage, everyday experiences and peer-led advocacy, rather than through aggressive, top-down communication.

The Chetak C25 was unveiled at a launch event in Pune, where Bajaj Auto highlighted its role as a compact, city-focused addition to the Chetak portfolio, complementing the existing 30 and 35 series. The scooter is aimed at first-time EV buyers as well as households adding a second scooter for daily urban mobility, supported by Bajaj’s expanding EV service network. 

This aligns with Bajaj’s broader belief that events today serve as amplification points rather than standalone moments.

The Chetak C25 launch reflects a disciplined evolution in Bajaj Auto’s marketing strategy. Print has been deprioritised. Television has become selective. Digital now carries the core responsibility, supported by creators, data and long-term agency partnerships.

Budgets have not been aggressively front-loaded. Narang himself cautions against that approach. “Front-loading budgets for new launches is not always smart,” he said, adding that products need time to reach the market and build word of mouth.