ADuring an audience His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received Piaggio Group Chairman Roberto Colaninno, accompanied by Deputy Chairman Matteo Colaninno and Director Michele Colaninno. The delegation also included Franco Fenoglio, Executive Vice President for Piaggio Commercial Vehicles, Ravinder Chopra, Managing Director of Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited - the Group’s Indian subsidiary - and Francesco Delzio, Group Executive Vice President for institutional affairs and external relations.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the production start-up of the Ape, one of the vehicles historically associated with Italy’s economic growth, Piaggio presented the Holy Father with two Ape Calessino models. 2008 is the 60th anniversary of the production start-up of the Ape, a light commercial vehicle historically associated with Italy’s economic growth and now enjoying widespread international popularity in Europe and in the developing geographical regions, from the Piaggio production facilities in Pontedera, Italy, and Baramati, India. 

Piaggio Group's Indian subsidiary has now emerged as the market leader in the 3-wheeler segment in the domestic market. Piaggio already has more than 6,00,000 satisfied ape customers in India today. The vehicles are produced at the manufacturing facilities in Italy and India (Baramati, near Pune).  The Ape 3 wheeler now enjoys widespread popularity in Europe also. 

Chopra apprised His Holiness of the activities of the PVPL - the Indian subsidiary, and its contribution not only in providing employment opportunities to a few thousand people, but also offering social assistance in a limited way to the poor and needy. In a span of 10 years, Piaggio in India has become the market leader in the domestic sales of three-wheeler segment.