BKT expanding carbon black production at Indian plant

Seregno, Italy – Off-highway tire maker Blakrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) has started production at its carbon black manufacturing facility in Bhuj, India, and is planning further expansions at the site.

Located within the company’s Bhuj tire production site in the state of Gujarat, the plant currently produces 80 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) of hard grade carbon black.

In a 2 Sept statement, BKT said it had raised its investment size in the plant from $23 million (€20 million) announced in 2017 to $75 million, to increase production capacity to 130ktpa by 2021.

The additional 50ktpa, said the Indian tire maker, will be in soft grade.

According to BKT, the company has ramped up production from 60ktpa at the end of the first quarter of 2019 to 80ktpa in the second quarter.

Around 50% of the carbon black produced at the plant is being used in the company’s tire manufacturing process, while the remaining 50% is sold on the market.

“This plant makes the difference and is definitely going to reward us,” said Rajiv Poddar, joint managing director of BKT, adding  that the unit provided both manufacturing independence and good quality raw materials.

“We now have precise upstream control over the entire process," he added.

BKT officially inaugurated the €440-million Bhuj tire plant in late 2016. The unit’s daily production capacity is around 300 tonnes.

The Indian tire maker has announced plans to increase its global market share in the off-highway tire segment from 6% to 10% by 2025.