India's Bajaj Auto eyes Ducati, Triumph
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
MUMBAI, July 16 (AFP): Bajaj Auto, India's second largest motorcycle manufacturer, is looking at forging a partnership with or buying Italy's Ducati or Britain's Triumph, both iconic marques, a report said today.
Bajaj Auto has been on the lookout for an appropriate acquisition or an alliance to boost its engineering and product development expertise to expand a product range currently limited to the 220cc range, the Economic Times said.
A big-ticket European brand like Ducati or Triumph would not only give Bajaj products a premium tag in the Indian market but also drive up export growth in developed markets, the report said without naming any sources.
The company's reported talks earlier with Japanese major Yamaha were also centred on technology sharing and expertise for bigger bikes, while offering engineering and manufacturing expertise for smaller motorcycles.
Bajaj Auto Ltd, headquartered in the western Indian city of Pune, has been fending off competition from multiple competitors including Hero Honda Motors which recently overtook it as India's largest manufacturer of two wheelers.
Bajaj Auto has been on the lookout for an appropriate acquisition or an alliance to boost its engineering and product development expertise to expand a product range currently limited to the 220cc range, the Economic Times said.
A big-ticket European brand like Ducati or Triumph would not only give Bajaj products a premium tag in the Indian market but also drive up export growth in developed markets, the report said without naming any sources.
The company's reported talks earlier with Japanese major Yamaha were also centred on technology sharing and expertise for bigger bikes, while offering engineering and manufacturing expertise for smaller motorcycles.
Bajaj Auto Ltd, headquartered in the western Indian city of Pune, has been fending off competition from multiple competitors including Hero Honda Motors which recently overtook it as India's largest manufacturer of two wheelers.