Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata and Fiat Group Vice Chairman John Elkann flagged away the two Ferrari 612 Scagliettis this morning as the Ferrari Magic India Discovery Tour got underway.

Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata and Fiat Group Vice Chairman John Elkann flagged away the two brightly liveried Ferrari 612 Scaglietti sports cars this morning as the 11,000 km Ferrari Magic India Discovery Tour got underway in Mumbai.

The Ferrari Magic India Discovery Tour will be divided into 12 stages and will run over the next 72 days. It started off this morning in Mumbai at the Gateway of India, a monument celebrating the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to the country. After being waved away the two 612 Scagliettis immediately headed south along the stunning eight-lane motorway that is the jewel in the crown of Indian's infrastructure.

Accompanying the two Ferrari 612 Scagliettis, which have received only minor modifications to prepare them for the arduous two-and-a-half month journey ahead, is a fleet of eight support cars, made up of a mix of Tata Safari and Fiat Bravo models, which will ferry the 50 journalists taking part. The C-segment Fiat Bravo is making a high profile appearance on the Ferrari tour ahead of its launch in the Indian showrooms next month.

"This will be a unique challenge for us as India is a fantastic country," said Ferrari spokesperson Davide Kluzer at the start. "The Indian elephant logo for the drive and the Ferrari's prancing horse will be joining forces." The first stage of the Ferrari Magic India Discovery Tour will end in the city of Goa, now a popular tourist destination once ruled by the Portuguese.

However despite the tour Ferrari are unlikely to enter the Indian market anytime soon and this high profile event is being regarded as an image building exercise. When Ferrari do arrive in India it is expected that Tata Motors will be involved in the importing and distribution of the Italian sports cars. "We are carefully looking at the Indian market and for partners, so the company is not ready to make any announcement," said Kluzer. "We won't be entering the market either this year or in 2009, probably in the next three years. Our plans for India would also depend on how we can decrease our global waiting list for our cars."

He also added that an Indian market presence will depend on Ferrari being in a position to satisfactorily manage demand and waiting list times: "We never go for figures, our goal is not to go for volumes but to deliver a unique and emotional driving experience to our customers."