Rumour: Kawasaki plans new assembly plant in Pune

According to some reports, India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) is planning to set up a motorcycle assembly plant in Chakan, Pune. The Japanese bike maker is said to be in the process of scaling up its Indian operations which includes the expansion of its teams and retail network.

This development comes after Kawasaki broke its 8-year old alliance with Bajaj Auto on April 1, 2017. Under the said alliance, Bajaj was responsible for all retail and aftersales operations of Kawasaki bikes in India. However, with KTM's entry into the Indian market, Bajaj shifted focus to its sister concern Austrian brand. This was considered to be the primary reason behind Bajaj and Kawasaki mutually calling off their alliance.

Hence, Kawasaki now wants full control on its Indian operations and is reportedly ready to make some investments to achieve the same. Sources suggest that the company is currently setting up teams for all core responsibilities within the organization.

Kawasaki hasn't yet confirmed the aforementioned rumours. However, the company's managing director - Yutaka Yamashita, has indicated that an official announcement might be made sometime in the future.

Source: Autocar Professional