Meet TVS Motor's President Who’s Now Influencing How Your Next Bike Gets Built

Most riders don’t think about the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association, or IMMA, even though it shapes a huge part of the global motorcycling world. It’s the group that brings together manufacturers’ associations from 14 countries and regions, and it’s basically the bridge between the industry and the people who write the rules.

When governments draft standards for safety, emissions, lighting, or how new tech should roll out, IMMA’s usually in the room making sure those decisions are realistic for both riders and manufacturers. The organization’s been involved in transport policy for nearly seventy years. It works with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe through the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety.

It also participates in groups that handle lighting regulations, data analysis, and long-term mobility planning. This is why IMMA’s leadership matters more than most people realize. And the latest figure to take a key seat at the table is Gaurav Gupta, elected Vice President while representing the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

I met Gupta, currently serving as president of TVS Motor's two-wheeler business in India, during a visit to the TVS Motor factory last October, and it was pretty obvious why he’s the guy who got picked. He’s got this genuine enthusiasm that you usually see in lifelong riders, and he talks about motorcycles with real excitement.

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His appointment also comes at a moment when the industry’s moving faster than ever. Manufacturers are juggling tighter emissions rules, rising interest in electric models, new connectivity features, and a push for more consistent safety standards across borders. India’s right in the center of that shift. It’s the world’s largest two wheeler market, and whatever succeeds there often sets the pace for what spreads across Southeast Asia, Africa, and eventually Europe.

As we’ve talked about many times in the past, companies often use the Indian market to test ideas, refine tech, and scale up innovations that later show up in bikes sold all over the world.

As such, having someone like Gupta in IMMA’s leadership gives the organization a stronger link to a market that’s driving a lot of global innovation. India produces some of the most efficient engines, some of the most cost effective mobility platforms, and some of the smartest approaches to affordability and safety. Those ideas don’t stay local anymore. They influence how manufacturers think about small displacement bikes, scooters, and even entry level electric models that are becoming more visible on the global stage.

So while IMMA might not be a household name, the people guiding it play a big role in shaping the future of motorcycling as we know it. Gupta’s presence adds a fresh point of view from a market that’s helping define the tech, standards, and strategies riders everywhere will eventually rely on.