India-headquartered off-highway tyre manufacturer Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) and Italian tyre maker Pirelli are joining forces to increase their presence in India’s premium car tyre market with a two-phase expansion. Under the initial agreement, BKT will manufacture up to 800,000 tyres bearing the Pirelli brand each year by 2030.
The second stage involves plans for an equally owned joint venture to build a plant producing high-value car tyres under both brands for sale in India and overseas. The companies aim to capitalise on India’s expanding automotive market, where car registrations are forecast to rise by 5–7% annually from 2025 to 2030.