Italy’s Benetton family is also in the race.
Bajaj Auto Ltd, one of India’s top two wheeler manufacturers, is expected to announce the acquisition of the European high-performance motorcycle brand- Ducati.
When the company’s annual meet was held on last day, Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of BAL told the shareholders that they are planning to settle a new alliance.
“We are very close to finalizing a very promising alliance. It’s not certain that it will happen, but if it happens, it will open up enormous possibilities for the company,” Bajaj said.
He also mentioned that if things go as planned, an official declaration will be made within two weeks. About a month ago, it was reported that Harley-Davidson and Bajaj were in talks with Volkswagen group to take accession of its Audi-controlled Ducati motorbike brand.
Reports said that the Indian manufacturers including Hero Motocorp and Royal Enfield and some other prominent groups are also bidding for its possession.
A recent update confirms that Italy’s Benetton family have decided to make a move to once again bring Ducati motorbikes to Italian soil.
One of the sources of Reuters news agency said, “Ducati has received several tentative bids with the Benetton family’s investment vehicle Edizione Holding valuing the Monster motorbike maker at $ 1.2 billion”.
Meanwhile, an Italian news agency reported that KTM AG, 48 percent of whose equity stakes are owned by Bajaj Auto, is closing in on the Ducati brand. A Pune based auto major is already making the use of KTM AG technology to make advanced motorcycles at an economical cost.
It will be interesting to see whether or not the Ducati brand performs well with the Indian automaker if the possession is concluded successfully.