A huge tyre weighing 1.3tonnes, standing outside one of the entrances to BKT’s plant, could sum up the company’s ambitions.
Not long ago, the site was 126 hectares of barren desert with a handful of withered and windswept shrubs. No water, no electricity.
Thanks to its huge investment, BKT has created in a few years a showpiece at Bhuj in the State of Gujarat, some 100km from the Pakistani border and 60km from the Port of Mundra on the Arabian Sea.
It is now a self-contained production plant, representing the state-of-the-art for both industrial equipment and infrastructure and facilities for employees.
After the start of construction works in January 2011, an 8km-long pipeline for drinking water as well as 13km of electricity lines were laid, and the first tyre rolled off the production lines in March 2012, with the entire project scheduled for completion by the end of 2016.
After reaching a daily production of 150tonnes, approximately 50% of the maximum production capacity, the BKT Bhuj plant was inaugurated at the start of December 2015 in the presence of numerous guests from all over the world. Specific events took place involving, on different occasions, customers, distributors and partners.
During the opening ceremonies, guests saw the production units provided with modern compound mixers, complex equipment for the production of steel rings, and new vulcanising presses, even for large tyre sizes.
The tyres currently produced in Bhuj include 22 sizes of the Maglift solid tyre and various sizes of the Liftmax LM 81 tyre, both for forklifts, in addition to Portmax PM 93 in size 280/75 R 22.5 for straddle carriers, and the giant Earthmax SR 45 Plus tyre for dumpers.
The Bhuj testing track, the only one of its type in India, is used for testing tyre performance and driving comfort on different surfaces from uniform road conditions to rough terrain. Many Indian producers have already applied for using the track for their tests.
Close to this facility, the new R&D centre is being built for research on new polymers and tread compounds, while on the other side of the complex, a thermoelectric power plant produces water vapour and electricity for the whole site. Huge water collection tanks provide water reserves even during droughts.
“The primary resource for the growth and success of any business is its staff,” said Arvind Poddar, chairman and managing director of BKT.
In line with this philosophy, a small town for the employees was built over six hectares of the Bhuj site. This includes modern flats for 406 families; a shopping mall; a green area; a recreation centre; a medical centre; 90 rooms for university students who take part in an industry-university cooperation project, and a fire station. The fire brigade takes action even in cases of emergency outside the plant.
As with all BKT plants, Bhuj has obtained the ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Certificate.
“The Bhuj production site is a milestone in BKT’s growth, not only for its high levels of technical and quality standards, but also because it is the BKT plant that is situated at the closest distance to a port, a decisive factor to speed up delivery time,” says Ms Lucia Salmaso, managing director of BKT Europe.
“This is a great benefit for companies that have chosen BKT tyres as original equipment.”
Alluding to the game of chess in his inauguration speech, Arvind Poddar, said: “There is a trait that distinguishes a true champion from a mere player: the versatility to adapt his/her strategy to the challenges entailed in each game. One move after the other, BKT has created and reached its objectives. Thanks to the new Bhuj production plant, the company is now ready to change the game acting as the ‘game changer’ on the global chessboard.”
Rajiv Poddar, joint managing director, said that in three to four years he would like to see the mining market account for 40-50% of the company’s business.
