BKT 'in no hurry' over US production plant

Akron, Ohio – Indian off-road tire maker Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) is still location scouting for a US production plant project, which it announced in November last year.

“The sites that we had selected did not go through, and we are still looking for the ideal location with all our expectations being met,” said Minoo Mehta, president of the company’s US subsidiary in a Q&A.

Looking at the political climate in the US, the BKT official said the company was “in no hurry to finalise.”

“The right timing is everything, and when the timing gets right, BKT is known to take swift action,” he added.

The company official  said that the initial investment figure had increased from $100-million (€87.5 million) to $120 million, with the potential to create 120 jobs.

Mehta welcomed US government policies to restrict the import of cheap Chinese tires, saying "it certainly has helped in stopping third and fourth tier, low-quality products coming to US markets."

The move, he said, will help end-users in the long run both in terms of longer life and for a safer and greener environment.