autoX Awards 2023: Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini to Launch in December, Says Bipul Chandra, MD, Ducati India

What is it about the Monster SP that makes it so special?

Well, we lovingly call the SP ‘Mad for Fun.’ The SP is a moniker that doesn’t come with every bike. It’s only added if the bike moves the game on to the next level of performance, and that’s what the Monster SP does – both on the road and at the track.

How has the Indian customer changed over the years? Because there’s been a huge change in terms of volumes as well as in terms of the spread of bikes that are available. So how has the customer changed in the last decade or so?

I would say customers are now taking life a bit less seriously. They are spending time outside the office as well, or outside whatever their work area is. They are spending time on the road, giving time to their passion. Biking or riding is one of them. We see a lot many new riders coming into the family, which is a very good sign for us. Earlier, what used to happen, people were exchanging their bikes. Now we find new buyers. That’s a lovely thing to see. Even some of the newcomers, they are starting with bikes at the V4 level. That’s a very reassuring thing for us that we are doing the right thing. Things are looking positive. People are travelling abroad. That again, gives us a very nice advantage because they see these bikes in various other locations and that gives them a reason to buy back home. That’s a nice thing.

Watch Full Interview Below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGUXklSQpcA

Recently internationally, for the first time, you’ve your first single-cylinder bike, the Hypomotard 698 Mono. When can we see that in India?

Well, the bike will definitely come to India in due course of time. The timeline would be next year. We’ll come up with the expected timelines. Yes, we all are excited, pretty excited. That’s going to be a major, major fun kind of bike.

Also Read: autoX Awards 2023 Winners Announced: BMW, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Ducati and More Bag Top Honors

On the production side, there was a period of time when there were still production constraints. Any constraints still, or now it’s smooth sailing?

I would say no constraints now. We have put things in perspective. Everything is streamlined. In fact, starting next year, we expect things to go even better because we shall be starting productions at our new factory in Thailand. That’s a much more modern, bigger, everything kind of factory. So things will be better only. No constraints, no bars as such.

Also Read: autoX Awards 2023: Ducati Monster SP Performance, Quality and Value for Money Ranked

Thailand, of course, is a great production hub for you. But there’s so much talk of make in India. Does anyone of that? Is any of that, at any time in the future, any consideration for assembly or manufacture in India?

Well, in business, you never say no. So at this moment, I cannot say yes or no to this discussion. But as a business house, we always keep our options open. If there is a requirement for business, why not? So I do not know or I cannot comment on the statement today, but yes, options will always remain open.

So, MotoGP just concluded in India for the first time. What was that experience for Ducati India? Did it yield any benefit?

The experience was very good. If I can use the word ethereal, which may sound a bit too much, but yes. The entire ecosystem was wonderful. The entire process, the entire system worked like a well-oiled machine. There were no issues, no hiccups other than I would say the weather gods, the temperature was very high. Other than that, it was very good. For Ducati, per se, I would say the experience was amazing. So now it’s a matter of record books that the inaugural MotoGP was won by a Ducati bike so that’s a wonderful feeling for us. We are very happy for all our riders and we look forward to the next edition. I’m sure all the participants, including Ducati, would have learned from this experience and we’ll try to make the MotoGP ‘24 an even better experience for everyone.

And, in 2024, what do you have in store for us?

Many things. As you said, the Hypermotard 698 Mono would be there. We have Panigale V4 916 Anniversario, which was unveiled at EICMA, recently. We shall be having some collaborations with marque brands, which is now a hallmark of Ducati. So in fact, very soon, if all goes well, we might be delivering the Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini by December in India. A lot more things are planned and it would be in various ranges. If I’m talking of a marque brand collaboration at the top-end level, then there shall be a Multistrada RS somewhere in between. So a lot of many things would be there.