To fill a perceived gap in the Indian two-wheeler market, Bajaj Auto Ltd is considering launching a gearless scooter by next year. It will have an engine capacity in the range of 100-150cc, and be priced at around Rs45,000.

Speaking in New Delhi at the launch of the company's XCD 135 motorcycle in the 'executive segment', managing director Rajiv Bajaj also promised some higher-end bikes that India's motorcycle enthusiasts have long been pining for.

The Kawasaki Ninja 250 is set for launch in May or June. However, the product will need to be really special if it has to match the proposed price tag of over Rs 2 lakh.

The Ninja will initially be put together at its factory in Aurangabad (Maharashtra), with production shifting to its new Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) plant later.

Bajaj Auto is also developing two bikes with engine capacity above 125 cc with its Austrian partner KTM, are expected to be launched next year. ''We would also assemble bigger bikes such as the Duke at our facility,'' Bajaj said.

Having bought a 30 per cent stake in KTM, Bajaj plans a string of motorcycles in the next 12-18 months with KTM technology in an effort to shore up its sagging sales. The bikes will be retooled to suit Indian conditions.

"While the Kawasaki Ninja will be introduced as a completely-built unit, we will assemble KTM's bigger bikes, like the Duke and RR, at our Chakan facility. Their introduction has been delayed a bit. We are also developing two bikes with engine capacity above 125cc with KTM that will hit the market next year," Bajaj said.

Bajaj, which has been losing market share to Rival Hero Honda in recent times, is banking on new products to gain more market share. It plans to launch as many as six new two-wheelers in the next nine months.

The company's chief executive officer S Sridharan, speaking on the same occasion, claimed said, "We don't want to be on top in sales. We want to be a niche player and have laid a plan to launch new products to tap new segments for Bajaj products, and gradually increase our sales tally. We will be launching few more products based on the DTS-Si platform for the mass market to achieve a monthly sales target of 70,000 units, while the international brands will meet high-end market needs."

Bajaj said the ultra-low-cost car, which it is developing jointly with French major Renault will debut in 2011, along with the 'Lite' cargo truck that is also under development. "Work on the engine and the gearbox for the car is under way, but other work related to the vehicle is yet to be completed.''

Formerly known only for scooters, Bajaj Auto has successfully penetrated the faster-growing motorcycle market. However, like all auto majors, it has been experiencing a rough ride in recent times, with December sales of only 62,043 units - one of its lowest tallies in the past decade.

This continues the slide witnessed since the last quarter of 2008. In September, sales dipped by three per cent in the domestic market, followed by a whopping 50 per cent drop in October and 53 per cent decline in November.

The company hopes to sell 20,000 units of the XCD 135 a month. While the entry-level segment of the market shows declining growth and the premium end growing very slowly, the company's focus is on the mid-size bike segment, which has been seeing relatively good growth.

''In times of a downturn, customers tend to consolidate their choice in the middle level,'' Amit Nandi, general manager, marketing, said at the launch.