Mayur N. Shah

Looking at customised vehicles manufacture thru jt ventures

DISCUSSING STRATEGY: Mr Ajinkya Firodia (right), Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Kinetic Motor Company, with Mr Mansur Chunawala, Director, Arco Motors, at the launch of new dealership network in Mumbai on Saturday. — Paul Noronha

Mumbai March 10 Kinetic Motor Company (KMC) plans to introduce a motorcycle in the country with Sanyang Industry Co Ltd (SYM), Taiwan, by 2010.

Mr Ajinkya Firodia, Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, Kinetic Motor Company, said the motorcycle would follow the launch of two scooter models with SYM. The engine capacity of the motorcycle is not known.

The company intends to leverage on the technical collaboration it has with SYM following the acquisition of a 11.1 per cent stake in it by the Taiwanese company.

The products will be made at Kinetic's Pithampur plant, having an installed capacity of 2.5 lakh units with the facility to go up to around six lakh.

The start-up time is consuming as the company has chosen to develop its own engine platform with new technology for Kinetic-SYM products. The Kinetic group is also looking at manufacturing customised vehicles through joint ventures with companies based in the US and Europe.

The niche products include electric scooter, go-karts, children's bikes, modified scooters for the disabled, delivery vehicles, police vehicles and emergency medical assistance vehicles.

According to Mr Ajinkya Firodia, the company plans to manufacture engines, power packs and sub-assemblies for small-scale motorcycle units outsourcing components.

These products will primarily cater to the export markets, said Mr Firodia.

Kinetic's alliance with Italjet has expanded its exports business to Egypt and Sudan.

The company has shipped 500 units of Kinetic Blaze (motor scooter) last month and intends to export 6,000 units by calendar year 2007, he said.

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