Piaggio Vehicles adds 100 dealerships pan-India in commercial, PV biz in 100 days

Mumbai: Piaggio Vehicles on Tuesday said it has added 100 dealerships in both its commercial and passenger vehicle businesses across India in 100 days despite challenging times.

The company also said its two-wheeler business grew over 90 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 and has seen growth in market share in the commercial vehicle and two-wheeler spaces, helped by an expanded network.

Piaggio Vehicles is Italian auto major Piaggio’s wholly-owned domestic subsidiary.

Besides having the largest network in the three-wheelers space, Piaggio has a strong presence in the two-wheeler segment as well.

The addition of 100 dealerships takes the dealer network to over 725 dealerships and 1,100 touchpoints across the country, Piaggio Vehicles (PVPL) said in a release.

The company said it has increased its reach in the three-wheeler and two-wheeler business and expanded further in the commercial vehicle space by opening up electric experience, and the aim is to increase the presence further to various parts of the country.

The addition of 100 dealerships is part of this strategy, it said.

The automaker said it has a strong network of distributors and retailers to cater to the aftermarket segment as well, and it is also strengthening its network presence in various countries overseas.

“It is our endeavour to continue providing best in class and style offerings to our customers both in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler space across our brands including Vespa, Aprilia and Ape. We have the advantage of understanding customer needs in India with the added advantage of our strong R&D in Europe and India,” said Diego Graffi, MD and CEO, PVPL.

He said the company has a slew of products and engines that it has access to; and will bring in the required ones to India, based on the customer requirements and suitability.

“To ensure these offerings come closer to the customer we are expanding our reach and the addition of these 100 dealerships is a step in that direction. We are focusing on enhancing Piaggio’s market share and expanding consumer preference towards our various iconic brands in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler space. Despite the challenges during these times of the pandemic, we have expanded our network across various states in the country and are also strengthening our presence overseas,” Graffi added.

He also said that Piaggio sees many new opportunities for its business in the domestic market, which is poised to grow and play a dominant role within its global business, he said.

By launching the Aprilia SXR 160 and the planned roll-out of the Aprilia SXR 125, which is expected soon, the company said it is strengthening its product offerings in the two-wheeler space.

Despite the pandemic, Piaggio continued to invest in emerging technologies and has continued to unveil new products every quarter, it said.