Italian scooter brand, Lambretta has claimed to make a comeback in India in 2023.
The company will return in a bigger and cleaner avatar in a joint venture with the Bird Group.
It will introduce a range of high-powered scooters – G, V and X models with capacities between 200 and 350cc in 2023. The company will also launch an electric scooter in 2024.
Speaking Walter Scheffrahn, owner of Lambretta brand and a Member of Board, Innocenti SA, said that the group will invest over $200 million in the next 5 years with the Bird Group to capture the Indian market. “The brand has its soul in India and it has tremendous affinity amongst the masses. We want to re-create the magic of the past. We aim to make it a Ferrari of scooters in India with our top-end range,” he added.
The new scooters will be positioned as high-end models and is expected to cost around 20% over the most expensive models on sale in our market. Lambretta has 51% share in the joint venture, while the rest 49% is acquired by Bird Group. The company will initially launch the completely built unit (CBU) & SKD models in 2023. However, it will eventually plan to start local manufacturing in the first quarter of 2024.
The electric Lambretta scooter will be showcased to the public at Milan Motorcycle Show in 2023 and the same model could be locally produced in India.
The Lambretta currently has a presence in nearly 70 countries and the scooters are produced in Europe and South East Asia.
The manufacturing unit in India is likely to be its biggest and European brands will use this plant for the export market.
The new manufacturing facility will have a capacity of around 1 lakh units and will create an employment opportunity for 5,000 people.
The new production plant will be set up in Manesar and work on the localization of scooters will begin in Q1, 2024.