French tyre maker Michelin is foraying into production of premium passenger car tyres in India. The company will invest INR 564 crore for the expansion of its plant in Gummidipoondi near Chennai which is its lone manufacturing facility in the country.
A brownfield manufacturing unit, the passenger car tyre plant is established in Michelin’s facility, where radial truck/bus tyres are produced.
Gaganjot Singh, president & managing director – Africa, India & Middle East, Michelin, said the new facility would commence its commercial production in Q3 (July-Sept) of CY2025.
“It is our first passenger car tyre manufacturing facility in the country, which will cater for the domestic market. The new plant will employ around 200 additional full-time employees,” he told TOI.
The foundation stone for the new plant would be laid on Saturday.
Currently, Michelin is importing passenger car tyres for the Indian market.
Florent Chaussade, executive site director, Michelin India, said the new facility would manufacture premium passenger car tyres up to the size of 24 inches. “This factory will be the most advanced facility of Michelin’s across the globe. It will have the latest technology, automation and process of 5.0 representing the most modern facilities of ours in the world,” he added.
The global tyre manufacturer set up their first facility in India at the SIPCOT Thervoy Kandigai industrial park in Gummidipoondi in 2014 to make radial truck/bus tyres for the replacement market and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). While its current production capacity of radial truck/bus tyres stood at 49,000 tonne per annum, the products are also exported to different geographies including Europe and North America. A sizable portion of radial truck/bus tyres manufactured in the facility is consumed in the domestic market, Shantanu Deshpande, managing director, Michelin India, said.>
