Bajaj Auto is planning major cost cuts at Austrian motorcycle maker KTM, with overheads expected to be reduced by more than 50% as part of a broader restructuring, company MD Rajiv Bajaj told CNBC-TV18. The move will largely focus on rationalising white-collar staff, while protecting jobs for blue-collar employees involved in production.

“This is really low-hanging fruit. We observe an opportunity to reduce overheads by more than 50%, including R&D, marketing, operations, and general administration,” Bajaj said. “Interestingly, of the 4,000 people currently employed, only about 1,000 are blue-collar; 3,000 are white-collar, which is perplexing because the blue-collar employees make the motorcycles.”

Bajaj said future volume shifts will impact blue-collar staff only lightly, with the main

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