The Vespa brand is reentering the Indian market after a gap of thirteen years with a new range of scooters, which were unveiled by its parent company, Piaggio at the ongoing Auto Expo in New Delhi.

The new range of scooters includes Vespa scooters powered by 125cc engines and are scheduled to be launched in March in the Indian market. The launch will be the first product offering by the Italian automaker in India without a local partner.

Piaggio licensed the production of Vespa scooters to Bajaj Auto. However, the joint venture ended in 1971, and the company partnered with LML Motors in 1983 and offered scooters in the country. This joint venture was completely acquired by LML in 1999, marking an exit of the company from the Indian market.

Ravi Chopra, chairman and MD, Piaggio Vehicles said, "Our foray into the Indian market activates a whole new segment of style and fashion conscious consumers who are looking for a premium, exclusive, lifestyle offering reflecting their personalities and attitudes. We would like to leverage this sizeable untapped market segment that shows tremendous potential for growth in the coming years."

Piaggio is forming an exclusive dealer network in the country for the brand and is planning to have about 100 dealers across India. The company has already created a capacity of 150,000 units at its Baramati plant and will soon expand production depending upon market demand for the scooters.