Italian two-wheeler and small commercial vehicles maker Piaggio & Company SpA is looking for a bigger role in the Indian market. Known for its three-wheelers, Piaggio Vehicles, a 100% subsidiary of the Italian maker, is working on an elaborate product strategy for the market that would range from scooters and motorcycles to wider range of three-wheelers and small four-wheeler commercial vehicles (CVs). In an interview with FE?s Shweta Bhanot , Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director, Piaggio Vehicles, shared his vision for the company and its plan to be a dominant player in the sub-one tonne CV space. Excerpts:

Five years from now, how should one relate with the brand Piaggio in India?

We have already established ourselves in the three-wheeler market in India and are now expanding our reach in the commercial vehicles market with entry into the small four-wheeler commercial vehicle category. We will continue to grow in the three-wheeler market and broaden our range in the small four-wheeler range (Ape brand) in the coming times. We want to be a dominant player in the sub-one tonne CV space.

In the three-wheeler market, we hold a market share of 40% in the domestic market and hope to sustain our leadership. India is a very significant destination for Piaggio and we always have a watchful eye. We will seek every business opportunity thrown open to us. The growth is in Asia and India will play an important role in it. It is with this vision that we have created a world-class facility in Baramati (Maharashtra), which is being expanded with the future in mind.

We will be getting our Vespa brand scooter next year. We are evaluating the Indian market comprehensively. By end of this year, we will be clear with our product line-up strategy. We also displayed our Aprilia RSV4 superbike recently and realised that we should enter the business on our own than depend on importers for it.

Vespa has been in the market earlier with Bajaj and LML. With this re-entry next year, how do you plan to place it in the market?

This is not a re-entry into the market. We had given technology to Bajaj, and then LML, but we never came to India with the original Vespa. Hence, this will be the first time that Vespa will enter the Indian market in its own avtar. Vespa is a household name and has a rich heritage. It is a cult. It would enter in its original form but customised to enhance its performance for the Indian market. We made an investment of 30 million euro for it at Baramati . It will be launched in the first quarter of 2012 and we are busy setting up the network for it. The engine plant at Baramati will cater to Vespa engines as well.

Who are your target customers and have you set any sales target for the first full year of sale of Vespa?

We are looking at creating a distinctive ownership in the market for Vespa. The experience now will be vastly different from what they had with Bajaj and LML, which was ?scooter for mobility.? We have a capacity of 1.5 lakh units per annum at Baramati for the Vespa and we hope to offload our entire capacity in the first year itself. We will also be looking at exporting Vespa from here to our neighbouring countries.

Other than the Vespa LX 125, which are the other models or scooters outside Vespa brand looked at for India?

We might bring another scooter, which would depend upon the response to this. It is too early to comment but we cannot depend upon one and would have offerings every year. Vespa will remain our flagship brand.