Italian super-bike brand Benelli has plans to launch two more models in India by the end of the current financial year.
These would be 250cc single cylinder and 3-cylinder 1130cc, according to Shirish Kulkarni, Chairman, DSK Motowheels, which spearheads the brands operation in India through assembling and selling.
Benelli, which launched five models in the country in March this year, is getting overwhelming response from the market registering a sale of 700 bikes and pending orders for another 1,000 vehicles, he told Business Line on the sidelines of an event.
With the increase in purchasing power and customers’ affinity towards luxury, he said the market for superbikes is on the rise both in premium luxury and affordable luxury witnessing a growth rate of 50 per cent. Last year, all the brands put together had sold 10,000 units.
Of this, DSK Benelli has market share of 3.5 per cent and the company is aiming at a sales figure of 3,500 next year, he said.
Kulkarni was in Kochi to open the 12{+t}{+h} dealership operated by Marikar Engineers Pvt Ltd, which showcases the entire range of DSK Benelli superbikes available in the country.
Unlike other models, he said Benelli is the only bike which is fully assembled in India at its CKD plant in Pune with a production capacity of 300 bikes per month. However, with the launch of two more new models by the end of March, the capacity of the CKD plant would be enhanced by adding some localisation as well as increasing the dealerships to 20.
To a question, Kulkarni said Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi and Mumbai are the top four markets for 18-55 age groups of people, who prefer super biking experience. Ladies are also coming forward to buy luxury bikes mainly in metro cities.