JK Tyre’s ₹1,400-crore expansion to be completed by Q1 FY26: CMD Raghupati Singhania

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Raghupati Singhania has said that the company’s ongoing ₹1,400-crore capacity expansion will be completed by the first quarter of FY26 (January-March 2026).

“The ₹1,400 crore is a spillover of the last expansion we took, and that should be completed by the next quarter — the first quarter of FY26. We will then have the capacity on stream and output available to us,” Singhania told Business Today. “We are also looking at the future in terms of how demand pans out and will accordingly decide what to do further.”

Speaking on the broader economy, Singhania said the proposed rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) could play a crucial role in boosting overall demand. “And it is not only the question of the tyre industry, but as an economic activity as a whole. I think it will go a long way in creating demand, improving affordability and giving an impetus to the economy,” he said.

On raw material prices, the JK Tyre CMD said prices have remained stable in recent months, providing some relief to the industry. “Luckily, in the recent past, prices have been range bound, and we don’t see much volatility coming forward, at least in the near term. The long term is always a difficult game to project,” he added.

Singhania also commented on the ongoing US import tariff issue, saying the company has diversified its export strategy to offset the impact. “The government of India is working very hard to find some solution with the FTA, but let’s see what happens. In the meantime, we have altered our strategy and are selling tyres from India to newer markets, including Europe, while supplying to the US market from our Mexican plant, which is more duty-friendly,” he said.

On the growth outlook, Singhania said both the automobile and tyre industries are performing steadily. “The auto industry is on a fairly reasonable wicket with six to seven percent growth, and even the tyre industry is looking at about similar growth,” he said.