GREAT NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on Tuesday said it has offered a 200-acre plot of land free of cost to Italian motorcycle maker Ducati, which has expressed its intention to set up a motorcycle racing track and training centre along the 165-km-long Yamuna Expressway, on the lines of the F1 Buddh International Circuit.
Yeida CEO Arun Vir Singh said the land in Sector 22F was earmarked for the purpose desired by Ducati. He said this after Ducati’s managing director Bipul Chandra and director Sunil Kumar Sharma met him at the authority’s office on Tuesday morning, officials said.
“We have decided to provide 200 acres of land free of cost to Ducati under a public-private partnership model so that they can invest in and develop this race track and training centre. Under Uttar Pradesh’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy, we can provide 75% subsidy on land to a foreign company and get 25% equity. Under this policy, we can allot the land free of cost so that the company that wants to invest can develop mega projects that will boost growth and create jobs,” said Arun Vir Singh.
Yeida officials said they have sufficient dispute-free land in Sector 22F as they acquired the agricultural land from farmers long ago. Ducati wants to build the facility in the area because it has world-class infrastructure, be it expressways, metro connectivity that will become a reality in the future or the Noida International Airport that is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2024.
“Ducati officials also discussed the MotoGP race scheduled for March next year. We also discussed the problems faced by Ducati and other motorcycle companies during the MotoGP race in September 2023. The main issues concern the track, taxes, visas, track usage fees and others. Ducati officials have communicated that participating in motorcycle events in the region is currently a costly affair due to the high transport costs and entry fees. Since Ducati has experience in developing tracks and hosting events in other countries, we offered them land here that is almost free.”
Ducati officials told YEIDA that they would discuss the project with the company’s senior officials and respond. Yeida officials said that the Buddh circuit often hosts motorcycle races, but the high costs prompted them to look for a facility dedicated exclusively to motorcycle racing.
“The Buddh track is built for car racing and the motorcycle companies or racing agencies have to rebuild the track every time for motorcycle racing. The agencies have spent huge amounts of money to change the design of the track and prepare additional facilities,” said the Yeida CEO.
“We are helping international players invest and help boost growth in this region because Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wants to create opportunities for the youth through such large-scale projects,” Singh said.
Hindustan Times tried to contact Bipul Chandra and Sunil Kumar Sharma for their comments on the proposal but could not reach them. HT also emailed them but did not receive a response till the time of publishing the article.
