Rajiv Poddar, Balkrishna Industries (BKT)
Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director
We are investing over 2500 crores INR capacity expansion to meet the growing demand for quality tires.
Given the government’s focus on infrastructure development, we are increasing our production capacity to meet the emerging demand for tires that can work well in all kinds of terrains, and loading and haulage applications. We are doing a lot of R&D to come up with the best solutions.
Keeping up with global standards, we have worked on the digitization of our plants, to provide world-class offerings that are infused with the greatest quality, durability, and reliability, with a focus on seamless service. Last year we completed a ₹450 cr. investment in capacity expansion of our Bhuj plant will increase its production capacity by another 50,000 MTPA.
We are upgrading our Bhuj plant and are also revamping all our old plants. With an emphasis on digitalization i.e. up-gradation of current equipment, installation of automated material handling systems, incorporating better connectivity into operations, ensuring upscaling to integrate digital and physical aspects of manufacturing.
BKT is one of the few companies with an in-house - tire mold production facility and manufacturing of carbon black pigment, this gives us a competitive edge, and autonomy, that ensures quality control throughout the entire supply chain. In addition, we have stringent quality test procedures for raw materials and post-production testing to ensure tire reliability and durability. We combine modernization, technology, and automation, to come up with the best quality products.
We are the only Indian manufacturer to roll out a technologically advanced all-steel radial tire range that offers improved fuel economy, longer life, and least downtime.
Being a global player in the Off-highway tire market, we are continuously focusing our efforts on upgrading our product range, doing so can help ensure better performance in various applications as well as improve comfort for equipment operators and minimize unplanned downtime.
Especially in the construction equipment market, we are the only Indian manufacturer that has rolled out a technologically advanced all-steel radial tire range that offers improved fuel economy, longer life, and least downtime. Our all-steel radial tires for the high-speed range, have been gaining popularity because of their excellent performance as compared to exported tires. These all-steel radial tires are designed for rigid dump trucks operating in the most challenging conditions, besides backhoe loaders, wheel loaders, motor graders, and material handling equipment.
We aim to provide top-performance tires; hence we have upgraded our tread patterns to provide self-cleaning properties. In fact, we have curated the tread pattern of each one of our tires uniquely to cater to customers’ specific requirements.
We are doing R&D to develop super giant tires for giant dumpers and loaders used in the mining industry.
We have recently introduced our XL Grip Ultra and the latest bias mining category - Mineforce. Additionally, we are working towards expanding our mining portfolio with the Giant and Super Giant range which will be at par with international standards. Thus, we are investing significantly in R&D to develop super giant tires for giant dumpers and loaders used in the mining industry. We are also investing in R&D of 63-inch tires and various other size tires to meet various operating parameters of machines at construction sites.
After-sales service is becoming more and more important as it is a major influencer at the time of making a purchase decision.
Machines used for digging, loading, transferring, and unloading operations, require extraordinary resistance to punctures and failure due to impact and shock during operations. Hence to ensure their optimal functionality across their life cycle, we are providing customers the appropriate backup and support. For extra-large and earthmover tires used in giant and supergiant dump trucks, we are providing services at the site to ensure the best performance and minimum downtime of the operating machines.
NBM&CW May 2022
