The year was 2012. Ducati’s owners, Invest Industrial, were looking for a new buyer. That was when Hero MotoCorp’s name was associated with the Italian bike maker. Of course, we all now know that the Volkswagen group owns the bike maker via Lamborghini (a la Audi) with a purchase price of 1.12 million USD. However, 4 years down the line the Hero’s name is again being linked with Ducati.
Relax, the Germans are not selling Ducati. What has happened rather is that the Indian manufacturer’s component division, Hero Motors, will be making transmissions for Ducati. The Indian two-wheeler giant is the largest selling entity in the segment. The group has spent 150 crores to set up its component arm.
Most of the business for this division comes from other players. The high profile list of clientele already includes names like Harley Davidson and BMW Motorrad. So soon, when you go to buy yourself a swanky new Ducati, remember when you are shifting the gears, the setup has been sourced from our very own Hero!
Indian engineering has been slowly gaining recognition the world over especially because of high quality and competitive prices. Here’s to more such ventures in the future!
