Premium bicycle maker Giant to set up plant near Pune.

Its bicycles can cost as much as a sedan, but that is not stopping the company from expanding its business in India.

Buoyed by its retail sales, Giant Starkenn says it is in the process of setting up a manufacturing facility in Pune.

The premium Taiwanese brand, which counts several Bollywood personalities, business honchos and politicians as its clientele, said the high import component and lack of cycling infrastructure were impediments to growth of the business in the country.

'We have acquired land in Chakan, near Pune. The plant will be operational by 2016. We intend to produce 35,000-45,000 cycles a year,' said Pravin Patil, CEO, Giant Starkenn.

Patil, however, refused to give investment details. Starkenn, a Pune-based company, has the exclusive dealership rights to sell Giant Bicycles in South Asia. The company said it is also in the process of appointing distributors for the Indian sub-continent. 'We have already appointed distributors for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. We are also looking at Maldives and Myanmar.'


HBL