By the first quarter of 2021, our launch, the 240 tonnes Giant dump truck tire will put BKT’s technology at a global level, and be a first for the country says PK Ganguly, Head – Marketing (Domestic Sales), Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

How has Atmanirbhar India impacted your sector?
While the world is plagued by the deadly virus, several Indian manufacturers are looking forward to look to domestic markets for their production needs, boosting trade ties within the country. The dependence on imports for raw materials as also the dependence on finished goods has significantly diminished, with India turning to Indian players for the same.

The buying economies are also shifting their focus, with India witnessing accelerated demand, expected to further improve in the coming years, more so with Indian products having an edge on account of various socio economic and environmental factors. Hence Atmanirbhar India provides a great avenue for us to further strengthen our brand’s position in the country. Made in India, BKT has been contributing to the agriculture, industrial & mining community in the country since 1987 and the opening up of these fresh opportunities within the domestic segment will further enhance our opportunities.  

In terms of your product range market dynamics, what will be the new state of affair after 2020?
The segment is highly technical & capital intensive and known as “large varieties low volume segment” where any credible player needs to maintain large number of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) to meet the diverse requirement of its customers worldwide. While the sub segment (agriculture) is largely known as noncyclical in nature, the other sub segment (industrial, construction and mining) is generally considered as cyclical and the performance of it is largely linked to overall economic outlook of the world. The market for these products is mainly India, Europe, America and Australasia. The first 8 months of the year have been particularly challenging for the sector due to various macro factors such as trade war, unfavourable climate condition in Europe which impacted the demand of our products adversely in various parts of the globe. 

However, we are all set to make a giant leap for the domestic sector with our new range of tires infused with best in class technology. A wide scale production of mining tires has been on in full swing, and by the first quarter of 2021, our launch, the 240 tonnes Giant dump truck tire will put BKT’s technology at a global level, and be a first for the country. 

Our brand is also the only company in India to establish the most high-end facilities to manufacture supreme quality OTR Radial and bias tires. A range of Giant OTR tires will be of great advantage to us for making footstep in the global market and also service Indian Mining sector.  Coal Mining segment in India is expected to grow at a higher pace to meet country’s growing energy requirement.  Requirement of   Giant Earthmoving Machines are expected to have high demand and of course the large and ultra large tires will have a rise in demand Indian markets

What are some of the products driving growth for your business in the current economic cycle?
Apart from the tyres, we offer for the agricultural segment, the requirement of giant earthmoving machines is expected to drive the demand for the large ultra large tires in the Indian markets, particularly in the coal sector, being the largest mining sector in India. High performance industrial tires used for loading, excavating, lifting or material handling in port & industrial segments are well accepted by Indian customers. Besides, BKT has the widest range in industrial tires like wheel loader, backhoe loader, skid steer, grader, forklift, telehandler, compactor, straddle carrier and many more for infrastructure & construction segment.

What kind of initiatives should the government focus on to ensure the construction sector remains in robust health?  We believe that the government can focus on coming up with special financial frameworks for the construction segment, that will boost internal trade and create symbiotic partnerships; in turn generating greater revenue and opportunities for the sector. Another important focus area would be laying down stringent and effective safety protocols for the labour force working in the sector and map out incentives and relief packages for the financial losses incurred by them amidst the pandemic; resulting in their migration from construction zones and back to their hometowns.

How are you managing your after sales support in the ‘unlock’ period?
Our organization is currently prioritizing our staff’s safety above all else, and we have come up with a variety of stringent and cost-effective measures to ensure the same. We have strict guidelines in place for our manufacturing plants and are slowly and effectively bringing back the pre Covid-19 office atmosphere. We have commenced our sales and operations in full swing, but with utmost caution and a special emphasis on safety of all our employees. We have also surged our internal communication and are always connected to each other. We are a strong & united force at BKT, with the best internal & external practices in place.