Dunlop India to produce aero tyres locally

New Delhi: Dunlop India Ltd will start manufacture of industrial products and aircraft tyres at its two factories in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu from September. The plants were closed in May for renovation.

The announcement marks the beginning of the revival plan of the company, which has faced long periods of closure, and was eventually sold off by its last owners, the Dubai-based Chabria family to the Kolkata-based Ruia Group.

While taking over the ailing plant, Ruia had said that he would spend Rs.1.5 billion ($37 million) to revive the company.

"The production will start in September, when both the factories in Sahagunj (West Bengal) and Ambattur (Tamil Nadu) resume full operation," Dhrubojyoti Nandi, vice-president of Dunlop India, told the media.

"Both the plants are undergoing refurbishment and we are also changing the machinery. The plants will start operating again in September in a full-fledged way," said Nandi.

The Sahagunj plant at the peak of its capacity would produce 130 tonnes of tyres per day for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) as well as for the off-the-road (OTR) vehicles like tractors, he said.

Nandi mentioned that Dunlop would also start production of aircraft tyres soon. The company is currently in talks with a European tyre major to produce aero tyres.

"There is an aviation boom in the country and we are focussed to take advantage. We are the only licensed aero tyres manufacturer in the country and this will obviously boost our sales," Nandi said. Sahagunj is the only tyre plant in India capable of producing aero tyres.

Apart from Dunlop, Ruia had also taken over two other tyre companies of Jumbo Group - Falcon Tyres and India Tyres.