More than just a brand name, more than just a bike.

The Enfield’s distinctive look and feel, and the bass, throaty sound of its engine, create a rider in its own image—inspiring the kind of devotion that other brands can only aspire to.

It’s been quite a ride for Enfield bikes in India, though, from its robust origins in the early 1950s to the rock bottom that was the 1980s. Come 1990, Vikram Lal of Eicher took over the brand and gave it a whole new lease of life. Later, his son Siddhartha’s vision brought marketing and product together in a uniquely imaginative way, and catapulted the bike to the iconic status it now enjoys. Today, Enfield has come to epitomise successful business turnarounds.

Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield by senior business journalist Amrit Raj tells the story of a trailblazing brand and company, and most of all, of the individuals who have made it what it is. Unusually for a business story, it also candidly reports the clash of the old guard with the new, baring the behind-the-scenes takeover dramas and the bare-knuckled battle to create the Royal Enfield: a premium homegrown consumer brand for the global markets.

Deeply researched and expertly narrated, Indian Icon is a worthy addition to the shelf of both business readers as well as Royal Enfield aficionados.