Classic British motorbike maker BSA has announced that the brand was being revitalised under its Indian billionaire owner, continuing a growing trend. Another famous British bike brand - Norton - was taken over by an Indian firm earlier this year with equally ambitious growth plans.

They follow in the footsteps of the historic Royal Enfield, which is enjoying success under new Indian ownership. Business experts are not surprised: Indian manufacturers are known for liking to buy into well-known but struggling brands in the hope of turning them around.

Anand Mahindra says he hopes to resurrect the British motorbike industry with a plan to build electric motorcycles in the UK under the BSA brand. The Mahindra group wants to start assembling motorbikes in Birmingham by the middle of 2021.

The revived BSA will begin building a research facility in Banbury, in Oxfordshire, to develop high-end electric motorbike technology, although it will still be making motorbikes with petrol engines. Mr Mahindra, who is said to be worth $1.7bn (£1.3bn), says he has chosen to invest in the UK because of its history of motorcycle production.

BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) was originally founded in 1861. By the 1950s, it was the world's largest motorcycle maker, owning the Triumph and Sunbeam brands. But it went bankrupt and ceased production in the 1970s before being bought by the Mahindra Group in 2016. It is officially owned by Classic Legends, which the Mahindra group of companies has a 60% stake in.

Mr Mahindra said: “I hope this small venture signals the renaissance of the entire UK bike-building business". The joint venture has received support from the UK government, which awarded BSA a £4.6m grant to develop electric bikes, in the hope of creating at least 255 jobs.

"The lure of a classic British machine would appeal to a young buyer as well as a returning rider that wants to relive their youth," says motor sports consultant Scott Lukaitis. "If they can find a way to capture the look and feel but offer it in a performance electric bike, they might have a winner."

British-bred Royal Enfield is expanding aggressively as it aims to tap into the world's biggest motorbike-buying market in Asia.