After Chakan unit, Bridgestone plans 2nd Pithampur line

Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre manufacturer, is ratcheting up facilities.

The company on Monday formalised plans for a second facility in Chakan near Pune to cater to the country’s radial tyre market.

While the plant will begin commercial production only in 2013, Bridgestone will also invest Rs 180 crore at its facility in Pithampur to set up a separate assemble line for production of truck and bus radials by 2011.

This line will have capacity of 200 tyres a day, which will later be doubled by 2012.

“As of now, Bridgestone is importing  truck and bus radials to meet the current demand,” Hiromi Tanigawa, managing director, Bridgestone India, told DNA.

Pithampur’s passenger car radial tyre capacity will increase from 13,000 tyres per day to 15,000 tyres by the end of the year, said Tanigawa. In the passenger car radial market, where the company is the market leader, Vaibhav Saraf, general manager, PSR sales and marketing, said the company expects a 0.2% growth year-on-year.

The company will invest Rs 2,600 crore in Chakan in a phased manner. The plant will have a capacity of manufacturing 10,000 passenger car radials and 3,000 TBRs a day by 2020.

Bridgestone has a network of 100 dealers, which it plans to double once production begins at Chakan.