Italy’s Ducati is planning to bring motorsports to India in order to develop a market for its Superbikes.

Ducati Motor CEO Gabriele Del Torchio said, “I have asked MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta to bring the Grand Prix event to India. If this event can happen in Qatar, China, Malaysia and Australia, I think India also has a great chance with vast improvements in infrastructure and the F1 circuit plans firming up. If all goes well, we shall have a full-fledged motorcycle racing season in India soon.”

The Italian bike company is also one of the largest sponsors of motor racing championships and is eyeing a long-term potential in India. “With the technology to produce the world’s fastest bikes, we see a great potential for superbikes in India,” Mr Torchio said.

Ducati produces 40,000 bikes a year at its Italian plant. One-fourth of these remain in Italy and another . The rest 20,000 gets sold in other 69 countries.

On the other side, Ducati is in the process of homologating the Monster 696. Bikes over 800cc are exempt from this and they can can be imported directly. Homologation is the process whereby the government certifies that the vehicles conform to its regulatory standards.

The compnay will initially sell through two exclusive showrooms in Mumbai and Delhi. Early next year, three more exclusive showrooms will be added in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

Source: EconomicTimes