Piaggio Banks On Unique Brand Portfolio For Strong Growth
- By Bhushan Mhapralkar
- November 02, 2022
Reporting consolidated net sales of EUR 1,626.9 million over the last nine months, marking an increase of 23.3 percent when compared to the sales of EUR 1,319.2 million clocked during the corresponding period last year that ended on 30 September 2021, Piaggio is cautiously optimistic of steady growth on the basis of its unique brand portfolio.
Selling 490,400 vehicles worldwide (an increase of 13.9 percent from 430,600 during the corresponding period last year), the Italy-based industrial group showcased the new Aprilia RSV4 XTrenta, a special edition two-wheeler that combines Aprilia Racing engineering and MotoGP technology. Only 100 bikes will be produced to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aprilia’s first championship victory. It also showcased the centenary edition of GMG – Giornate Mondiali Moto Guzzi – in Mandello Del Lario (Italy) in September, attracting more than 60,000 Guzzi bikers from around the world, including British actor Ewan McGregor, who has always been a great fan of Moto Guzzi bikes.
Holding the world preview of the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello Aviazione Navale (signifying the brand’s special ties with the Italian Navy) in the spectacular setting of the flight deck of the Cavour aircraft carrier in September, Piaggio presented a new range of Vespa GTS scooters in four versions – the classic Vespa GTS, the contemporary GTS Super, the feisty GST SuperSport and the hyper-tech Vespa GTS SuperTech – in October.
Announcing net profit of EUR 70.9 million, the best ever nine months result with an improvement of 37.4 percent (it was EUR 51.6 million at the nine months ending on 30 September 2021), the Italian group sold 410,000 two-wheelers worldwide (an increase of 12 percent from 366,000 as on 30 September 2021) and generated net sales of EUR 1,338.9 million, an increase of 20.6 percent from EUR 1,110.2 million during the corresponding period last year.
Turnover from two-wheeler sales was particularly strong in Asia Pacific (clocking an increase of 55.1 percent), followed by the Americas (clocking an increase of 44.4 percent), EMEA (clocking an increase of 7.7 percent) and the Indian sub-continent where sales continued to be steady and resulted in an increase of one percent.
Consolidating its leadership in the scooter segment with a share of 23.5 percent (23.1 percent in the first nine months of 2021) and further strengthening its positioning in the North American scooter market with a share of 34.9 percent (34.5 percent as on 30 September 2021), Piaggio experienced an increase in traction in the area of motorcycles as well.
Working to consolidate its presence in the North American motorcycle market with the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands, the group (seeing double-digit growth in global scooter sales volumes, driven in particular by the Vespa brand that reported a double-digit improvement in turnover and record nine-month sales volumes and by Aprilia scooters) clocked good growth in its commercial vehicle portfolio as well.
The group reported sales volumes of 80,300 vehicles, up 24.4 percent as compared to 64,600 units sold in the nine months ending on 30 September 2021. It also reported net sales of EUR 288 million (an increase of 37.8 percent from 209.1 million EUR as on 30 September 2021).
Highlighting positive performance of the motorcycles under the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands on one side and the commercial vehicles on the other, Piaggio experienced good contribution from its Indian operations too.
With the Indian market showing a recovery with turnover from commercial vehicles rising 56.7 percent and sales volumes rising 37.4 percent, the group’s subsidiary now commands a 19.4 percent overall share of the Indian three-wheeler market. In the cargo sub-segment of three-wheelers in India, the company – Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited – is holding a market share of 33 percent.
Drawing attention to an extremely complex macroeconomic situation and geopolitical developments such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Piaggio Group Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno expressed, “The Piaggio Group closed the first nine months of 2022 with its best results ever and double-digit growth, driven primarily by excellent performance in the APAC area, which will be further boosted by the new manufacturing facility we shall be opening in Indonesia next month.”
- Classic Legends
- Jawa
- BSA motorcycles
- Mahindra Group
- Yezdi
- Anand Mahindra
- Boman Irani
- Rustomjee Group
- Anupam Thareja
Karnataka High Court Rules Boman Irani Is Owner Of Yezdi Trademark
- By MT Bureau
- November 30, 2025
The Karnataka High Court’s Division Bench has ruled in favour of Boman Irani, Co-Founder of Classic Legends, confirming his rights over the trademark ‘Yezdi’.
The ruling overturns a previous Single Judge order and marks a victory for Classic Legends, makers of Yezdi, Jawa and BSA motorcycles, and a Mahindra Group company.
The Court observed that the registrations for the brand ‘Yezdi’ obtained by Irani are valid and comply with the Trade Marks Act. The ruling confirmed that Ideal Jawa’s prolonged non-use and failure to renew trademark registrations amounted to abandonment. Ideal Jawa had stopped production in 1996 and was liquidated in 2001, failing to renew the trademark registrations for over 15 years.
In contrast, the Court noted that Irani worked on reviving the brand and lawfully acquired the requisite trademark registrations in 2013-14. He co-founded Classic Legends in 2015 with Anupam Thareja and the Mahindra Group.
Boman Irani, Co-Founder of Classic Legends and Chairman and MD of Rustomjee Group, said, “The verdict feels much more momentous than a fateful personal victory for my family’s legacy. It reaffirms that the perseverance in keeping heritage brands alive never goes unrewarded. The honourable court and judges have supported our efforts to renew Yezdi through innovation and lawful means. I know my father would have wanted me to blaze a trail with brand Yezdi, which has been a part of me since my childhood, and I thank the Indian judicial system for recognising our efforts in carrying forward the legacy for future generations.”
Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, said, “The honourable Karnataka High Court judges have brought their astute understanding to a case which will redefine India’s IPR legal disputes. It will discourage unwarranted and unfair hurdles to trademark ownership. The verdict proves that sincere efforts to keep alive legacy brands are worth pursuing and vindicates the winning spirit that Boman and Anupam bring to Classic Legends’ mission of reviving Yezdi.”
Anupam Thareja, Co-Founder, Classic Legends, said, “We have honoured Yezdi’s true challenger spirit in reviving the storied brand. We had complete faith in the Indian judicial system, and our trust stands vindicated as the honourable judges have affirmed our rightful ownership of brand Yezdi. We will continue with the same spirit and ensure Yezdi roars back into the hearts of India's modern motorcycling community."
The Court dismissed all pending applications, set aside the earlier order, and allowed all appeals by Irani and Classic Legends.
The judgement highlights the need for active stewardship in preserving brand heritage. The Court observed the following points:
- Ideal Jawa had stopped using the Yezdi mark in 1996, allowed registrations to lapse, and took no steps to protect it; the mark had no surviving goodwill.
- Common-law rights for trademarks exist only through their continued use.
- Both Ideal Jawa and the Official Liquidator (OL) were inactive in using or renewing the trademark.
- The OL cannot claim ignorance of the trademark’s existence when Yezdi was Ideal Jawa’s sole business.
- With no business for 30 years, no renewal, no use, no protection, and the trademark not even mentioned in asset sales, goodwill was extinguished.
- The dues owed to Ideal Jawa in liquidation have no connection to the value of its trademark. The OL cannot equate alleged debts with trademark value.
- Trademarks are intangible rights dependent on use and renewal. Unlike physical property, they do not inherently persist.
Ultraviolette Automotive Expands Retail Network To Six Locations In Mumbai And Pune
- By MT Bureau
- November 27, 2025
Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ultraviolette Automotive has accelerated its nationwide presence by opening six Experience Centres across Mumbai and Pune within 48 hours. The locations include Andheri, Vashi and Thane in Mumbai, and Shivajinagar, Baner and Kharadi in Pune. This expansion strengthens the brand's foothold across 30 cities nationally.
The new UV Space Stations, in partnership with Hallmark Mobility (Mumbai) and KHV Mobility (Pune), offer customers the opportunity to explore Ultraviolette's motorcycles: the X-47 Crossover, F77 SuperStreet and F77 MACH 2. The centres provide test rides, sales, service, spares and a range of motorcycle accessories, catering to the end-to-end customer lifecycle.
Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and Co-founder, Ultraviolette Automotive, said, “At Ultraviolette, our mission has always been to engineer products that push boundaries of performance and technology while delivering an after-sales and ownership experience built on trust and dependability. With our expanding network of retail and service hubs across Maharashtra and other key markets, we are unifying sales and service to offer riders a seamless journey from the first moment they walk into a reliable after-sales experience. As we continue to grow, we are also building a connected ecosystem that brings technology, sustainability, and convenience together. Every Ultraviolette Space Station is designed to represent the future of mobility, where innovation becomes accessible, and every rider resonates with the future driven ethos of Ultraviolette.”
Kaushik Kothari, Partner at KHV Mobility, said, “In line with our vision of driving growth through strategic opportunities, we are proud to be associated with Ultraviolette. We firmly believe that EVs represent the future of two-wheeler mobility, and Ultraviolette’s sharp focus on engineering, design, and customer-centricity resonates deeply with our values. Together, we are confident of contributing to a shared journey of innovation and mutual success.”
Earlier this year, the company launched two other offerings: the Tesseract electric scooter, featuring an integrated radar and dashcam and the Shockwave electric motorcycle.
TVS Motor Co, BMW Motorrad Partnership Surpasses 200,000 Units
- By MT Bureau
- November 27, 2025
TVS Motor Company (TVSM) and BMW Motorrad have announced the production of 200,000 units under their partnership. This milestone highlights the success of the collaboration, which began in 2013 and focuses on the sub-500cc two-wheeler segment.
The partners also announced the start of manufacturing for the new BMW F 450 GS, which was recently showcased at EICMA 2025 from the Hosur plant.
KN Radhakrishnan, Director and CEO, TVS Motor Company, said, “In our over a decade-long partnership with BMW Motorrad, our engineering synergy and shared values of innovation and quality have formed the foundation of every achievement. Together, we have designed and brought several path-breaking products that resonate with customers across leading markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. This collaboration’s engineering prowess has set new benchmarks, and our co-developed products are now embraced by riders in over 100 markets globally. Today, as we celebrate the 200,000 unit milestone, we also mark the dawn of a new era with the roll out of BMW F 450 GS that was recently showcased at EICMA 2025. The newly introduced BMW F 450 GS, highlights TVS Motor’s state-of-the-art manufacturing excellence in producing high-end motorcycles.”
Markus Flasch, CEO, BMW Motorrad, said, "This 200,000 unit milestone is a demonstration of the success and strength of our collaboration with TVS Motor Company. What began just over a decade ago as a bold alliance has flourished into an extraordinary success story, with our sub-500cc models setting new standards and delighting riders across the globe. The BMW G 310 R, G 310 GS and G 310 RR enjoy unrivalled popularity worldwide and have become a key pillar of BMW Motorrad’s global growth. The rollout of the new BMW F 450 GS marks the next exciting chapter in our journey together. We look forward to building on this strong foundation to deliver even more innovative, accessible, and truly world-class motorcycles for riders everywhere.”
TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad are driving forward investments in new platforms and future-ready technologies. The collaborative R&D efforts are aimed at meeting evolving customer needs across urban and premium mobility.
Royal Enfield Launches Himalayan Mana Black Edition At INR 337,000
- By MT Bureau
- November 21, 2025
Royal Enfield has announced the launch of the Himalayan Mana Black Edition in India at Motoverse 2025. This follows its global unveiling at EICMA 2025. The new version, priced at INR 337,000 (ex-showroom) is inspired by the Mana Pass, a high-altitude route located at 18,478 feet (5,632 meters) above sea level.
The design and ergonomics of the Mana Black Edition are created to maximise off-road riding. The edition features matte details and a Stealth Black finish, suggesting purpose and adventure. It is intended for riders who view every route as a calling.
The Mana Black edition is intended for the spirited rider prepared for adventure and comes with factory-fitted equipment. The machine embodies Royal Enfield's Philosophy, enabling those who aspire to travel farther and conquer.
A distinguishing feature of the Mana Black Edition is its factory-accessorised setup, complete with curated adventure equipment. Components include – black rally hand guards, black rally seat for grip and long-distance comfort, rally mudguard for rough routes and tubeless spoked wheels for durability.
The motorcycle is powered by the Sherpa 450 engine, maintaining the performance and agility of the new Himalayan platform.

Comments (0)
ADD COMMENT