CEAT Limited has expanded manufacturing at its Chennai plant, adding the ability to make more advanced, premium tyres for passenger cars and SUVs, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. The products will serve customers in India as well as key export markets such as Europe and North America.
A highlight of the expansion is the SportDrive SUV ZR22, which makes CEAT the first Indian tyre company to manufacture 22-inch tyres in India. Built for large, ultra-premium SUVs and featuring CEAT CALM technology, the range is being launched for sale in India. The plant also makes the 4SeasonDrive+, a European-standard all-season tyre with a focus on wet grip, and the CrossDrive RT, a rugged-terrain tyre developed for the US off-road market that is also suited to everyday road use.
“This investment strengthens our ability to compete in premium segments with products developed and manufactured in India,” said Arnab Banerjee, Managing Director & CEO, CEAT Limited.
For commercial vehicles, the plant can now produce seven advanced truck and bus radial (TBR) sizes aimed at fast-growing premium segments in Europe and North America. These include wide-base tyres that can replace the usual pair of tyres on each wheel, making trucks lighter and more fuel-efficient and allowing them to carry more load. CEAT is also scaling up production of light truck steel radial tyres in 15-, 16- and 17.5-inch sizes.
On the two-wheeler side, the plant supports CEAT’s premium SportRad Racing Slick range for the racetrack and the SportRad ST sport-touring range for motorcycles above 650cc.
The 163-acre plant at Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram, uses connected machinery, real-time data analytics and advanced automation. It runs partly on renewable energy, including a 9 MW rooftop solar installation, and is a zero liquid discharge facility.
