Kinetic to launch Italjet scooters in Sept

The Pune-based Kinetic Motor Company Ltd is all set to launch its first range of Italjet scooters in India in this September.

Kinetic Motor had in January entered into a strategic alliance with Italjet, an Italian two-wheeler maker, for manufacturing and distribution of Italjet brand of scooters across the globe.

The production line of Kinetic's scooter manufacturing plant at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh is almost ready to manufacture these scooters.

During the first year of operations, 40,000 Italjet scooters from this plant are expected to hit the market.

Vismaya A Firodia, vice president of Kinetic Motor who was in Ahmedabad on Monday to launch the company's Zing 80 model of scooterette, said, "Our production facilities in Indore are almost ready to manufacture Italjet-branded scooters for the global market. We hope to launch two models in the first phase during this fiscal year. Five more models are expected to hit the Indian roads during the next fiscal year."

"All the seven models of scooters that Kinetic will make in India under the distribution and manufacturing licence from Italjet will be for the gearless scooter segment. They will have a special futuristic design, apart from various other new features," Firodia said.

Firodia said prices of Italjet scooters for the Indian market have not been finalised yet. It would be decided from a strategic point, looking at the growing gearless scooter market in the country, Firodia said.

According to the conditions of the agreement with Italjet, Kinetic will manufacture and distribute a portfolio of scooters comprising a variety of designs from retro, modern, futuristic to maxiscooters, from 75 cc to 250 cc engine capacities.

"Under the agreement, Leopoldo Tartarini, who founded Italjet in 1959, will also design scooters specially for Kinetic," Firodia said.

Italjet is headquartered in San Lazzaro De Savena at the Bologna province in Italy.

The company has so far designed and manufactured over 150 scooters and motorcycles. They have been hailed as breakthrough designs by the motoring world.

Italjet has a major market share in Europe, the US, SouthEast Asia, Japan, Australia.

Now Kinetic may also expand the global market for Italjet brand with the addition of countries in Latin America.

Talking about marketing of scooters during the current fiscal year, Firodia said, "We are targeting to sell around two lakh scooters during this year. This includes sales of around 60,000 units of Zing 80. Zing 80 has so far been launched in Pune, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. When Italjet scooters hit the road, we are hopeful of reaching the target comfortably. In the last fiscal year, with only two brands "" Zoom and Nova "" we sold around 1.60 lakh scooters including exports."

She said Italjet will help Kinetic Motor increase its income from exports during the next three to five years as Kinetic is looking for a wider global market with the already established Italjet brand.