MARCH, 20269BKT TO INVEST RS 3,500 CRORE IN EXPANDING ON-HIGHWAY TYRE RANGEINDIA SMARTPHONE EXPORTS HIT $30 BILLION, SAYS ASHWINI VAISHNAWBalkrishna Industries Limited (BKT), a major off-highway tyre company, has ventured into the domestic consumer tyre industry in India with an announcement of a strategic investment of Rs 3,500 crore (USD 400 million).According to Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of BKT, this investment will be channeled to an augmentation of manufacturing capacity of BKT, enhancement of the research and development skills, and the expansion of its countrywide distribution to cater to the increasing mobility needs of its nation.The new On-Highway product range at BKT consists of two-wheelers, with the new tyre being the ZENOVA, which is an urban-commuting tyre and the THYROS, which is an on-off-road tyre, along with tyres that cater to the medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCV). Within the next year, the company will introduce its initial commercial on-road tyres.According to its Vision 2030, BKT targets a revenue of Rs 23,000 crore by FY30, of which 70 percent of the revenues will be contributed by the Off-Highway tyres, 10 percent by the sale of third-party carbon black and 20 percent by its On-Highway tyre portfolio."Our entry into the on-highway segment is a natural extension of BKT's purpose ­ to support India's evolving mobility needs with products engineered for real-world conditions," said Arvind Poddar.Through its disciplined India-led strategy, BKT intends to achieve a 5 percent market share by FY30, with product leadership and customer trust in the 2-wheeler, truck, bus, and light truck sectors of tyres. Ashwini Vaishnaw said today that India smartphone exports have surged to $30 billion, marking a major milestone in the country's rise as a global electronics powerhouse.The announcement highlights how India smartphone exports have grown rapidly, turning the country into a trusted production base for leading global brands.Speaking on the development, the minister noted that India is fast emerging as a smartphone manufacturing hub, driven by strong policy support and rising global demand. Total smartphone production has also climbed sharply, with output valued at nearly $60 billion, showing how exports now make up a significant share of overall manufacturing.Much of this growth has been fueled by the government's PLI scheme, which encouraged global and domestic companies to expand assembly lines and strengthen local supply chains. Major players such as Apple and Samsung have scaled up operations, using India as a key export base for markets including the United States and Europe.The surge in India smartphone exports has also boosted job creation and deepened India's footprint in the global electronics trade. Industry experts say the consistent policy push, skilled workforce, and improving infrastructure have helped India compete with established manufacturing centers.With exports touching $30 billion, the government sees this as proof that India is no longer just a large consumer market but a serious global supplier of smartphones. TOP STORIESMARCH, 20269
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