When you think of a luxury motorcycle, you immediately think Ducati. With the ace Italian brand foraying into India, bikers here have been spoilt for choice—27 models from seven bike categories! Bikes from the XDiavel, Multistrada and Hypermotard family, the Panigale superbike and the Sport-road bike, SuperSport along with the Scrambler variants are now in exclusive Ducati showrooms across India. In this exclusive chat with Guardian 20, Sergi Canovas, Managing Director of Ducati India, talks about the importance of the Indian market, their plans for India, the Ducati lifestyle and more.
Q. Why is India an important market for Ducati?
A. India is the largest two-wheeler market and is growing at a rapid rate. Motorcyclists in India are more aware of the brands available globally, have a heightened expectation of product quality, and are ready to invest in authentic high-performance motorcycles. Ducati is a luxury motorcycle brand, with eight dealerships in just three years, and we are now moving ahead with a network expansion plans that will see us grow in more cities, including Hyderabad, very soon. We have launched three bikes this year in India and are actively introducing customer-centric services like 24×7 Road Side Assistance, Ducati Financial Services, Ever Red Extended Warranty Programme and DRE Dream Tours, a one-of-its-kind experiential ride event for Ducati owners only. The idea is to give a luxury motorcycling experience to our customers while delivering the best looking Italian design and tech-laden motorcycles in India.
Q. You have now finally entered the Tamil Nadu market. What are your expectations here?
A. India as a whole is an important market for us and we are keen to expand to more markets, but there is a lot of research and surveys that go behind us choosing the next location to open our dealership in. And the same went with Chennai and Tamil Nadu. We have seen awareness of automobiles along with growth in the biking community and enthusiasts in Southern India, therefore we felt the need of a Ducati dealership there and now we are eagerly looking forward to a great reception.
Q. How does Ducati score over its competitors here?
A. There are a few premium motorcycle brands already present in India. However, Ducati is a luxury motorcycle brand and we have products not just under the Ducati brand but also the entire Scrambler range. The overall process starts with making our products easily accessible through a good dealership network spread out across eight cities with 3S [Sales, Service, Spares] facilities and making the purchase easier through the Ducati Financial Services. We then also ensure all Ducati owners can now choose the Ducati Ever Red extended warranty and 24/7 roadside assistance in order to have a fulfilling ownership experience. Finally, we indulge the riders with access to marquee events, like the World Ducati Week, special ticketing possibilities for MotoGp races and finally, tours and trips planned locally like the very recently concluded Dream Tour right here in India. They also have access to us as a brand through a dedicated customer service, which is in-house, as well as a very engaging social media presence. The same is a great reflection in all our products, too. I am happy to share with you that Ducati today has 27 models across seven categories of motorcycles which in itself is one of the largest product range that any motorcycle manufacturer has within the 800cc+ segment in India. Our products not only enable riders an authentic Italian performance motorcycle experience but also provide them with products that suit their individual riding styles.
Q. A lot of women are into biking now in India. Are Ducati bikes suitable for women?
A. I think motorcycling is something which is gender neutral and feel that this is the way it should be. We do not differentiate between men and women and maybe that is one of the reasons we see a lot of women choosing Ducatis maybe for themselves or for their partners. In fact, a good insight we recently found was that out of the overall web traffic that we see on our site here in India, 15% of them are women. I can also confirm that a lot of ladies have interacted with us over social media and shown intent to buy as well as ride motorcycles within the Ducati and Scrambler range.
Q. What is the Ducati lifestyle all about?
A. Performance, Sophistication and Style. If I were to put it very simply, it’s the love for riding and doing it with a lot of fun, in luxury. It is about getting absolved in the riding experience that Ducati offers. Ducatists is all around the world experience and share the purest expression of refined skills and a great
passion for bikes.
Q. Are you an avid biker?
A. Yes, of course, and maybe that’s why I consider working for this iconic Italian brand more of a passion than just work. I think India is blessed with some of the finest places to explore on a motorcycle ranging from the mountains to the beaches and deserts. Honestly, I know it’s a cliché but I want to go to Leh and Ladakh very soon on a Ducati.