Your plans and preparations for Excon 2022. What are the tires you are going to display at the Exhibition and/or any launches planned?
Excon has established itself as one of the largest trade shows in the construction and machinery industries. It provides an excellent platform for exhibitors to showcase their products, network with potential customers, and take advantage of new technological opportunities in the industry. We are delighted to be attending Excon this year, especially after the Covid-gap, as we are geared up with new and ground-breaking technology to be showcased at this Excon with a major focus on all-steel radial tires.
What are the products and solutions in the OTR segment that BKT offers and their applications?
We currently manufacture a range of over 3,200 SKUs, which are exported to over 160 countries across the world. In the mining segment, BKT is championing the ‘All-Steel radial tire’, thus at the cusp of transforming the mining and construction industry. Our latest offering, the Earthmax series of tires, that are designed to equip rigid dump trucks operating in the most challenging conditions. These all-steel radial tires have superior technology tread along with high quality and are bound to be a game-changer for the earthmoving segment. BKT recently announced the latest breed of bias mining category, ie, Mineforce.
In the industrial construction segment, BKT has the widest range of tires in tipper mining, backhoe loader, wheel loader, motor-graders, and material handling sectors. The latest introduction of XL grip Ultra – in the tipper mining segment is one such, technologically upgraded tire, that BKT offers to suit both the mining and construction sector. In agriculture tires, BKT’s offering of the ‘Commander’ series another technologically advanced tractor tire – is highly appreciated by farmers as the best in the Agri segment.
The government’s relentless effort to complete infrastructure projects in the stipulated time has given rise to construction equipment that is stronger, versatile, and technologically advanced. How are you supporting the construction equipment industry in this endeavor?
We have seen a remarkable demand for construction and infrastructure equipment as a result of the increase in construction, real estate, infra, projects, and logistics sectors. In addition, we have noticed a shift in the buying pattern of end-users in the construction equipment sector to premium tires for trouble-free services and reliability. Also, they are shifting to application-specific tires for a better economy, and we are capitalizing on these trends with our exquisite range of products while simultaneously working on creating better functioning and higher durability products. We have been constantly developing newer products to meet the requirement of varied machine/equipment operating parameters, in line with OEM upgrading and innovations. Our deep understanding of the Off-Highway tire market has led to capabilities to manufacture over 3,200 SKUs. Every year, BKT brings from 80 to 90 new products or new tire sizes to global markets thanks to extensive R&D, product design, and product development activities. In addition, we produce in-house our tire molds and carbon black pigments, which provide us with major autonomy and ensure enhanced quality control throughout the entire supply chain. Our teams are continuously working towards developing new solutions to meet the needs and requirements of professionals in the construction and mining industries, further augmenting our tires as per customers’ requirements.
How has the performance been for the company this year - given the ongoing and upcoming building and infrastructure opportunities?
The company continued with its growth streak even during the pandemic and had an average growth of 20% y-o-y in the last two years. Today, the company commands around 5- 6% market share globally with over 3200 SKU and exports to more than 160 countries – making BKT one of the major players in the market globally. In fact, OTR tire demand in 2021 rose above pre-Covid-19 levels, despite supply chain and logistics issues,in fact, we don’t see any demand slowing down in the next 5 years. To keep the growth to consistent, major investments are made in our core business - Tires, and in carbon black - a new segment we have ventured into. This year, we predict a record growth year for BKT.
