Piaggio considering assembly of Aprilia bikes in India

Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited is considering assembly of motorcycles built under its Aprilia brand in India. The move is expected to help the company make its bikes more affordable.

At present, Aprilia bikes are brought into the country through the CBU route, attracting maximum custom duty and taxes, which is resulting in 140% higher retail prices than assembled ones. The company sells five motorcycle models in the country - RSV4, Tuono V4, Dorsoduro, Mana and SRV. Each of these bikes has a retail price higher than Rs. 10,00,000. Aprilia's showrooms are located in Pune and Gurgaon and the company is planning to expand its operations by setting up dealerships in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai.

Aprilia competes with Ducati, BMW, KTM, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Some of these players have already set up facilities for assembly of their bikes in India.

Piaggio is also mulling the introduction of the Moto Guzzi brand in India.

Source: Business Standard