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KTM 200 to be launched during 2012 Auto Expo

KTM

Austrian sports bike maker KTM today said it will launch its first motorcycle, jointly developed with Bajaj Auto Ltd , in India at the Auto Expo to be held in the capital early next year. The company, in which Bajaj Auto holds nearly a 40 per cent stake, had already launched its first co-developed bike in Europe in March this year.

In 2007, Bajaj picked up a 14.9 per cent stake in KTM for around Rs 300 crore. A year later, it increased its stake in the European bike-maker to 25 per cent and has been increasing it gradually.
Both companies also signed an agreement for jointly developing 125-cc bikes, which will be built at Bajaj’s Chakan plant near Pune for exports to the European market under the KTM brand. They had earlier planned to launch their bikes in India in the latter half of this year.

The bike will be produced at the Pune facility of Bajaj Auto. Bajaj expect to sell 25,000 to 30,000 units in India in the first year of launch. After one year, they are looking to launch the 350-cc Duke in India.”  KTM had launched the 125-cc ‘Duke’, developed jointly with Bajaj Auto, in Europe in March this year. As they have already sold nearly 7,000 units in Europe. They are targeting to sell about 10,000 units in Europe this year.

The two partners are looking to expand the markets for their bikes. All the bikes that they produce in India will be global models. They are also looking to export KTM bikes from Bajaj facility to other emerging markets like Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil.

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