Bajaj Auto has officially taken the driver’s seat at KTM’s parent company, completing a deal that gives the Indian manufacturer full control of the European group. Bajaj has confirmed that its Dutch subsidiary, Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV, has acquired 100 per cent of Pierer Bajaj AG, the holding firm that owns the majority stake in Pierer Mobility AG, the umbrella company for KTM and several other premium motorcycle brands. With the transaction wrapped up on November 18, KTM and the wider Pierer Mobility network now fall directly under Bajaj Auto.
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The takeover also kicks off a round of major rebranding. Pierer Bajaj AG will soon carry the name Bajaj Auto International Holdings AG, while Pierer Mobility AG is set to be renamed Bajaj Mobility AG, subject to the usual approvals. Leadership changes are on the way, too, with boards and management teams across the involved companies, including KTM, lined up for restructuring. This effectively marks the end of the Pierer Group’s long-standing stewardship of the brand.
Before the deal, Bajaj Auto owned 49.9 per cent of Pierer Bajaj AG (PBAG), while the majority stake was held by Pierer Industrie AG. PBAG itself owned nearly 75 per cent of Pierer Mobility AG (PMAG), which meant Bajaj indirectly held about 37.5 per cent of KTM.
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After the transaction, Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV (BAIH) took full ownership of PBAG by acquiring the remaining shares. This made PBAG a wholly owned subsidiary of BAIH, and therefore a step-down subsidiary of Bajaj Auto. Since PBAG holds 74.9 per cent of PMAG/KTM, both companies have now become indirect subsidiaries of Bajaj as well.
Bajaj and KTM have worked closely for years, and Bajaj has been a key financial backer for the Austrian brand during tough times. But this is the first time the Indian manufacturer has taken complete control, giving it a direct say in everything from future product planning to global manufacturing and brand strategy.
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Stefan Pierer has been steering KTM since the early ’90s, stepping in when the company was in trouble and gradually turning it into a global performance-bike brand. Bajaj Auto entered the picture much later, picking up its first stake in KTM in 2007 and strengthening the partnership over the years as both companies grew more closely linked. What began as a minority investment eventually evolved into one of the industry’s strongest cross-continent alliances, laying the groundwork for today’s full shift in ownership.
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