The Rise and Fall of Atlas Cycles

Atlas Cycles, a name that became a synonym for bicycles in India, closed down its last manufacturing unit in Sahibabad in 2020. The company once boasted of being the number one cycle production company in the world.

Once the reigning cycle production company, did you know that it had humble beginnings? Jankidas Kapoor founded Atlas Cycle Industries (ACIL) in 1951, starting in a small shed in Sonepat, Haryana. The first bicycle was produced in 1952 after a year of rigorous work.

Atlas’ growth was remarkable! In the first year itself, the company produced 12,000 cycles in a 25-acre factory complex. In 1958, Atlas made its debut on the global market. It started exporting to various countries, including the Middle East, Myanmar, and South Africa.

Innovation was at the heart of Atlas’ achievements. In 1978, they launched India’s first racing cycle, becoming the official bicycle supplier for the Delhi Asian Games in 1982. Atlas cycles were powering athletes to victory.

To ensure quality and self-sufficiency, Atlas established a Steel Tube mill in Gurgaon. This move allowed them to produce specialized bicycle components and meet their steel tube requirements while maintaining stringent quality controls.

By 2004, Atlas Cycle Industries had become a global player, exporting its cycles to 50 countries and boasting a strong domestic market presence with a network of 4,000 dealers.

But by the end of the first decade of the 2000s, the shift of the middle class to motorbikes, the family feud, the growing Chinese dominance in the cycle market, and a lack of global demand had led to the closure of many of the company’s plants and the demise of a once-leading cycle company.