Bajaj close to acquiring performance bike brand Ducati?

1

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Bajaj’s MD Rajiv Bajaj announced they are very close to finalising a very promising alliance
  • The company is reportedly in talks with Volkswagen group to buy its Audi-controlled motorcycle brand – Ducati
  • There are several other groups reportedly bidding for the acquisition of the same brand

One of India’s major two-wheeler manufacturers, Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL), is likely to announce the acquisition of the European performance motorcycle brand – Ducati.

At the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday, Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of BAL, told shareholders that the company is close to settling a new alliance.

“We are very close to finalising 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,” Rajiv said.

He also told that if things go in the ballpark, an official announcement will be made within the next two weeks. However, any Bajaj official declined to name the brand that the company is in talks with.

Around a month back, Harley-Davidson and Bajaj were reportedly in talks with Volkswagen group to take possession+ of its Audi-controlled Ducati motorbike brand. The reports also suggested that there are numerous other groups bidding for its acquisition, including the Indian manufacturers – Hero MotoCorp and Royal Enfield.

A recent update on Reuters news agency suggests that Italy’s Benetton family seeks to make Ducati motorbikes Italian again. “Ducati has received several tentative bids with the Benetton family’s investment vehicle Edizione Holding valuing the Monster motorbike maker at $1.2 billion,” one of the sources told Reuters.

At the same time, an Italian news website reported that KTM AG, 48 per cent of whose equity stakes are owned by Bajaj Auto, is closing in on the Ducati brand.

Top Comment

This is a great news .. Jaguar Landover owned by Tata’s and now Ducati owned by Bajaj. Strength of Indian business houses!Indian

So, the possibility of Bajaj closing the deal to acquire Ducati and announce another iconic international brand under its umbrella is rather high.

The Pune-based auto major is already making good use of the technology provided by its Austrian partner in making advanced motorcycles at an economical cost. Now, it will be interesting to see how the performance brand Ducati gels with the Indian automaker if the acquisition is concluded successfully.

Source