Home-grown commercial tyre manufacturer BKT has announced a partnership with Italian tyre giant Pirelli, under which the former will manufacture Pirelli-branded premium tyres in India. The agreement has two phases: first, where BKT will manufacture Pirelli tyres, and second, where the two firms will enter a 50-50 joint venture and build an entirely new plant to manufacture tyres.
Under the first phase, BKT will manufacture tyres using Pirelli’s high-end technological advancements and utilise BKT’s strengths in the Indian market. The plan is to make up to eight lakh Pirelli-branded tyres by 2030 at one of BKT’s new plants. The partnership will also ensure that Pirelli’s technological and quality standards are maintained.
A few years down the line, the second phase of the partnership is expected to begin. As mentioned, the 50-50 joint venture will come into place, and the new plant through this JV will manufacture tyres for both Pirelli and BKT. However, neither Pirelli nor BKT confirmed when the JV will start.
