Benelli started their operations in India with DSK MotoWheels in October 2014 and they seemed to have hit gold with the markets of the country. The sale of the models like the TNT 600i, the TNT 300, and the TNT 25, and the setting up of 25 dealerships all across India made sure that the Tier-2 cities had a good branding and penetration with the Benelli brand.
However, the DSK group ran into some legal and financial troubles which made sure that a question on the fate of the dealerships and the ownership of the Indian division arose, due to which, according to the media reports, they handed over the operations of the company to one of their dealers, the Mahavir Group. The latter is a part of a conglomerate which is based in Hyderabad and runs dealerships of several major brands in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Benelli’s new patron for the Indian division, the Mahavir Group, is an automotive conglomerate, which owns dealerships of Skoda, Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Benelli, and Indian Motorcycles, across the two states. The new ownership is considering a new set up for the assembly of the bikes in Hyderabad. This comes as a relief to the current owners of the bikes and the dealerships, as there will be a constant support for the after-sales. However, there is no clear report on whether the new ownership will allow the existing dealerships to continue or disperse them.
The partnership between DSK MotoWheels and Benelli was a successful venture and there are hopes that the new partnership between Benelli and Mahavir Group will be a new opportunity for the company to bring in new bikes from the international markets to the Indian shores. The only thing that is for sure is that there will be a support for the service for the existing customers of the brand.
