Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL), India's scooter king till some time ago, is planning to bring out a Gen Next scooter from its stables that have dished out millions of Chetaks and Supers over the last five decades.

The auto company is not quite done with scooters. A few years after virtually exiting the segment, sources in BAL told NDTV that the company is all set to launch a powerful sports scooter next year priced at around Rs 45,000-50,000. Its closest competitors are international models from Yamaha and Honda.

Currently, Bajaj sells only one scooter model, the Krystal.

Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto, said, “Krystal was put up several years ago. Today, we sell 1000 a month. It’s not been a successful product. We are not developing any other scooter for the purpose of putting out in the market."

Meanwhile, Bajaj needs to spruce up its act if its at all serious about the scooter business because while it has been away, others like Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India have averaged nearly 55,000 units per month last fiscal and are sitting pretty with 55 per cent market share.

But, BAL is clear that while the new scooter may not revive its fortune in the scooter market, it will definitely help the company make a mark on a new segment.