BKT’s new Bhuj plant a game changer
Indian tyre manufacturer, BKT, represented in Ireland by Agrigear has inaugurated a $500 million, state of the art tyre manufacturing facility at Bhuj, around 60 miles from India’s border with Pakistan.
Described as a game-changer by BKT, the new factory, was built on a 126 hectares site,
located in Bhuj in the State of Gujarat about 40 miles from the Port of Mundra on the Arabian Sea.
Construction work started on the facility in January 2011 and the first tyre rolled off the production lines in March 2012. Work at the factory is set to be completed by the end of this year.
At full capacity the plant will produce 300 tonnes of tyres every day.
Tyres currently produced in Bhuj include 22 sizes of the Maglift solid tyre and various measures of Liftmax LM 81 tyre, both for forklifts, in addition to Portmax PM 93 in size 280/75 R 22.5 for straddle carriers, and the giant Earthmax SR 45 Plus tyre for dumpers.
The Bhuj testing track, the one and only in India, has been projected for testing tyre performance and driving comfort on different surfaces from uniform road conditions to rough terrain. Many Indian producers have already applied for using the BKT track for their tests.
Close to this facility, a new R&D Center is being built for research on new polymers and tread compounds. On the other side of the complex, a thermoelectric power plant covers the needs for water vapour and electricity throughout the entire site. Enormous water collection tanks provide water reserves even in droughts.
“The primary resource for the growth and success of any business is its staff,” said Mr. Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of BKT.
In line with this philosophy a small town for the employees was built including modern flats for 406 families, a mall, a green area, a recreation centre, a medical centre, and a fire station. The fire brigade takes action even in case of emergencies outside the Bhuj plant. In addition, there are 90 rooms for university students who take part in an industry-university cooperation project.
Like all BKT plants, Bhuj has obtained the ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Certificate. As far as production parameters, quality control and environmental regulatory requirements are concerned, BKT adheres to the strictest international standards.
“The Bhuj production site is a milestone in BKT’s growth,” Ms. Lucia Salmaso, Managing Director of BKT Europe, said. “Not only for its high levels of technical and quality standards, but also because it is the BKT plant that is situated at the closest distance to a port – a decisive factor to speed up delivery time. Likewise, this is a great benefit for companies that have chosen BKT tyres as original equipment”.
