Red repartee

Bike India meets the Ducati top bosses at the Diavel Asia launch in China

Italian sportsbike maker Ducati has been expanding its brand presence in India steadily in the last few years. It currently has three dealerships in the country and has launched most of its motorcyles here. We met the brand’s top management at the Asian launch of their latest offering, the Diavel that isexpected to be launched in India anytime now with a pricetag of around Rs 20 lakh. The Diavel is Ducati’s first cruiser, sharing its engine with their flagship 1198 Superbike. Like every other manufacturer, Ducati is also excited about the growing Indian market. They have a brand image as an exotic Italian bike marquee and want to cash in on the strong motorcycle culture in India. However, Ducati will only sell premium, taking into consideration that they have hardly any niche left in the volume segment that is dominated by the Japanese. They want to stay true to their L-twin engine-Trellis frame formula, offering only their global products here. However, to improve their position in Asia, Ducati is setting up a production plant in Thailand which will be operational by the end of this year. This will reduce the prices of their bikes in India due to the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.