DSK is definitely taking the competition to the new level. The company had introduced the brand Hyosung a couple of years back and now it looks forward to launch a new company in the following month, DSK Benelli. This brand will make its foray in India with five motorcycles on the Indian roads. This Pune based company has a target to bring Keeway motorcycle brand to the nation.
Some of you might not have heard about Keeway. This company is owned by the Qianjiang Group of China, the Chinese conglomerate. It is the same organisation, which owns Benelli, as well. DSK is currently planning to launch the Blackster motorbike in India. This motorcycle has engineering inputs done by Benelli, while it is sold under the Keeway brand.
Shirish Kulkarni, the chairman of DSK Benelli said, “We plan to bring the Blackster and the TNT250 for homologation by March-April 2015, and roll out the two models by July 2015 or later. All the models would come in completely knocked down kits and will be assembled at our Wai facility to begin with."
The first priority of the company will be to add to the assembly capacity at the Wai facility, which is capable of producing 10 motorcycles in a single day under a single shift. Interestingly, the company is looking forward to add another shift to this schedule, owing to the rise in demand of Hyosung motorcycles. Apart from Hyosung, the rising demands of Benelli bikes will also be catered to on the shoulders of this added shift.
Kulkarni added, “While a Greenfield plant is in the foresight, it is still at least two years away. We are yet to home in on a location for the same and it is too early to make any comment in this regard. However, we are planning to build a facility with an annual assembly capacity of 100,000 units. It will essentially be an assembly facility but depending on how the talks progress we might also have a full-fledged production line in place at the same planned facility.”
