We all got excited when news flashed quoting the Maharashtra Government that Lamborghini was looking to invest in a manufacturing plant in Maharashtra and this plant will be for electric cars. This, we thought, was a big step for the company as it wasn't looking at Europe, rather Asia to build its electric cars. Even State industries minister Subhash Desai said that the carmaker is keen to set up base in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation chief executive officer Sanjay Sethi told PTI that the company will announce its plans for Maharashtra ahead of the Magnetic Maharashtra investor summit in Mumbai which starts next week. Given the fact that in the latest budget, finance minister Arun Jaitley proposed to increase duties on imported cars from next fiscal to 25%, from the present 20%, as a disincentive to imports, it would have made sense to Make-in-India. However, while the calculations in our head suggested that Lamborghini might expand one of Volkswagen's plant to make way for its cars, the news was too good to be true.
The company launched the Urus in India just 38 days after its global reveal
Lamborghini India, however, has brushed this claim aside and said that there are no plans to set up a manufacturing base here. Sharad Agarwal, Head of Lamborghini India said, "Automobili Lamborghini SpA is not looking to set up a manufacturing base in Maharashtra."
At the root of this confusion was the fact that Tonino Lamborghini was likely to visit the Magnetic Maharashtra investor Summit and according to Sethi, Tonino Lamborghini was to unfold its plans today. But Lamborghini was quick to clarify that there are no such plans and the confusion needs to be put to rest.
Agarwal said, "In order to avoid any risk of association or confusion, we would like to clarify that Automobili Lamborghini Group and Tonino Lamborghini Group are two different entities and each of them is managing its activity in autonomy, within its own business interests, notwithstanding the fact that there is a partial co-existence of the name Lamborghini and the bull in the shield logo. The use of each trademarks are regulated in an agreement dated 1993".
The report also suggested that Tonino Lamborghini was the Chairman of Automobili Lamborghini SpA, however, we all know that it is headed by Stefano Domencali who is its Chief Executive Officer. The statement further said that any statements made by Tonino Lamborghini cannot to attributed to Automobili Lamborghini SpA.
