“JK Tyre Has Developed A Strong Hold On The Market Dynamics”

In this exclusive interview with BW Businessworld, RAGHUPATI SINGHANIA, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, says FY26 is about premium tyres, tighter costs and stronger exports

- Ruhail Amin

With FY26 underway, what is your plan for growth and margins this year, and which two levers will you rely on most: product mix, costs, exports or something else?

Our focus remains on driving sustainable growth while improving profitability margins. We have been driving growth by improving our product mix through premiumisation across the product range, including high performance tyres for CV segment and higher rim sized tyres for PV segment in addition to Ultra high performance “Levitas” tyre for premium segment cars.

Another important area of our focus is expansion and diversification of export geographies. Presently we are exporting to more than 100 countries and targeting to increase our penetration in these markets.

Your current Capex programme: where exactly is it being deployed by plant and product line, and what ROCE and payback are you targeting from these investments?

We are expanding capacities for PCR at Banmore, Madhya Pradesh, TBR at Laksar, Uttarakhand and All Steel Light Truck Radial at Mysuru, Karnataka. These expansion projects are progressing well and will commence production in Q3FY26. The new capacities will significantly enhance our ability to serve the growing demand across both domestic and export markets, particularly in the premium passenger car segment. We are expecting the ROCE for these projects to be in mid-teens.

How will the IFC sustainabilitylinked loan and your expansion projects translate into higher capacity, better energy efficiency, and new jobs over the next 18-24 months?