Dunlop India to Produce at Full Capacity by Next Fiscal Year

The production of Dunlop brand tyres in India has recommenced, and according to parent company the Ruia Group, the brand expected to generate revenues of Rs 6 billion (£80.6 million) by the next financial year. Before the two facilities ceased operations in 2008 Dunlop India turnover stood at Rs 900 million (£12.1 million).

“We re-started operations of Dunlop at the Ambattar facility in Tamil Nadu and Sahagunj in West Bengal late last year,” Ruia Group chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia told the Press Trust of India. “Our target is to achieve revenue of Rs 600 crore (£80.6 million) from this brand in 2010-11.” Ruia added that a similar figure had been invested in the two factories over the last four years, mainly to cover refurbishment, new machinery, settling liabilities and legal tangles. The plants now have a combined capacity of 1.6 million units of truck, bus and off the road tyres. “Currently we are utilising around 25 per cent of the capacity and we intend to reach full utilisation by next fiscal,” he said.

Plans to produce radials at Dunlop plants are progressing. The Ruia Group also intends to increase capacity for its ‘Falcon’ brand tyres at its Mysore, Karnataka state factory by five hundred thousand pieces within the next six months.