In a related move, Hero Puch is also planning to launch 100cc and 150cc four-stroke scooters in the Indian market and is again negotiating for a collaboration for designing and developing these scooters with another European company, a senior company official said.

"Hero Puch is planning to introduce scooters in India and the target is to launch these during 2001-02," Hero Puch general manager (marketing services) Sanjeev Bakshi said at the Auto Expo here on Sunday.

He said the company would have to expand its existing manufacturing line at Dadri for the scooters rollout but declined to divulge the amount of investment the company would make in upgrading its manufacturing.

Bakshi said the pricing strategywould be competitive.

Sanjeev Bakshi said the scooters would be priced between Rs 38,000 to Rs 40,000.

Hero Puch is also scouting for suitable foreign partners for upgrading existing models and to have an integrated research and development set up for the company, he said.

Hero Puch is showcasing its turbo sport range of mini-bikes in the ongoing Auto Expo besides introducing EZ and Shaktiman scooterettes for the first time.

While the turbo Sports range is aimed at the college crowd, the EZ is meant for urban and the Shaktimaan which can double up as a load carrier is aimed to rival Bajaj's M-80, he said.

The company is also introducing two of its export models namely the Wheelie, a mini bike for kids, and the Winner SLX which is the export version of Hero Winner, Bakshi said.

Hero Puch sold 90,000 vehicles during 1998-99, he said, adding the company was targeting 30 to 40 per cent growth during the current financial year and its focus areas were the `step-thru' segment and the turbo Sportsrange.Hero Puch was also planning to upgrade its two-stroke engines into four stroke and has already tied up with Brigg Sratton of the US, Bakshi said.