Italian super bike major Benelli has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government to set up a manufacturing plant in Telangana, located at Medichal, Pochampally, Hyderabad.
According to George Wang, board director – Benelli, three models are expected to be rolled out by October 2018, and about six models by 2019.
The company is looking at a two-phase manufacturing plan in India. “In the first phase, Benelli will manufacture 10,000 CKD units in a year,” he said without disclosing investment details.
Established in 1911, Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturers and has presence in over 60 countries, including America, Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Benelli’s global product portfolio includes more than 20 variants, including motorcycles, scooters and electric bicycles. In India, Benelli has so far introduced TNT25, TNT300, TNT302R, TNT600i, TNT600GT, TNT899 & TNT 1130 models, and till date 5,650 units have been sold across the country.
With over three decades of experience in the automobile business, Adishwar Auto Ride India (AARI), a subsidiary of Mahavir Group, has been chosen as a preferred partner by Benelli to market Benelli’s exclusive product range in the country. “AARI is setting up a CKD assembly plant for Benelli in Hyderabad and the partnership also entitles AARI to assemble, manufacture bikes and import exclusive range of Benelli bikes from Italy and Southeast Asia regions.”
To gain significant market share in the country, the company is also aggressively looking out for new dealer partners across all regions in India, besides continuing the relationship with existing dealers of Benelli.
Benelli’s manufacturing facility will be set-up in two phases. The first phase, spread over three acres, is executed through AARI-Mahavir Group and will be operational by October 2018. The second phase will be a larger setup that will span across 20 acres of area.
“India has been the largest producers of two-wheelers in the world and we have witnessed a growing demand across categories, including super bikes. Over the years, Benelli has gained a leadership position in the Indian super bike segment with loyal customer base and the introduction of various products from time to time as per the market demand,” George Wang said.
Source: financialexpress.com