Bridgestone India Announces Rs. 1939 Crore Investment For Plant Expansion

Tyre maker Bridgsetone India has announced the expansion for its manufacturing facilities in Pune (Chakan) and Indore (Kheda) with an investment of $304.3 million (around Rs. 1939 crore). The new investment will be made in a phased manner over the next five years starting this year, the company announced in a statement. With the growing vehicle population and subsequent tyre demands, Bridgestone says that the new investment will enable it to improve production capacity by an estimated 15,000 tyres per day, bringing the total production from both plants to around 41,000 tyres by 2022.

Speaking about the announcement, Bridgestone India - Executive Director, Kazutoshi Oyama said, "This investment affirms our commitment to expand Bridgestone's footprint in India, which is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, and will enable Bridgestone India to be equipped with advanced manufacturing technology and processes that will allow us to better serve our customers with products of superior quality. I am also excited about the benefits it will bring to our local community and team members, as further evidence of Bridgestone's commitment to contribute to the evolution of the societies in each Region in which we operate in."

Bridgestone also says the additional investment will enable the expansion of the size production mix capability of both plants in order to better match the evolution of car industry models being released to the local market. The expansion will see about 450 new jobs being created for skilled manpower.

Having commenced operations in India in 1996, Japanese giant Bridgestone has a variety of tyre options available in the Indian market. From entry-level tyres for cars to heavy duty radial units of trucks and buses, the manufacturer offers a range of options to both OEMs and replacement market.