JK Tyre & Industries is betting ₹6,110 crore on a transformation driven by premium tyres, embedded sensor technology, and electric mobility, aiming to lift profitability even as rising raw-material costs squeeze margins. The strategy is gaining traction, with eight of its 10 recent approvals from automakers involving larger-rim tyres.
The investment programme comprises ₹1,130 crore in ongoing expansion and ₹4,980 crore in additional projects to be executed over the next three to four year
In an exclusive interaction with businessline, Managing Director Anshuman Singhania said the company aims to increase the share of premium passenger tyres measuring 16 inches and above from approximately 27–30 per cent currently to more than 50 per cent within two years, alongside expanding into intelligent tyres and commercial fleet services.
“I think that will change the dimension of the company,” Singhania said, adding that the shift towards higher-value tyres would strengthen profitability.
The strategy is already showing traction. Premium tyre sales increased approximately 10 per cent year-on-year in the replacement market and 20 per cent in supplies to automakers during the September quarter, supported by demand for 16-inch and 18-inch fitments.
JK Tyre is moving beyond conventional tyre manufacturing into sensor-embedded products and electric-vehicle applications, seeking to increase its technology content as automakers introduce more sophisticated vehicles.
Singhania said the company had progressed from selling retrofit tyre-pressure monitoring kits to embedding sensors inside tyres, enabling real-time monitoring of tyre conditions.
Its latest investor presentation confirms the launch of an embedded smart tyre for passenger cars, capable of tracking air pressure, temperature and potential air leaks. Management said discussions and testing were underway with passenger-car manufacturers to integrate the technology into vehicle systems.
In electric mobility, JK Tyre has developed JETWAY JUXe for commercial vehicles and Ranger HPe for passenger EVs. It is also supplying tyres for electric-bus applications and participating in emerging electric-truck segments.
The company’s research centre, supported by more than 250 scientists and engineers, is developing advanced materials, sensor technology and products for changing vehicle requirements.
Singhania wants JK Tyre to become India’s largest commercial truck-tyre service provider within three years, extending its business beyond manufacturing into fleet management, retreading and usage-based contracts.
Under its pay-per-kilometre model, some commercial customers pay for tyre usage and associated services rather than purchasing tyres outright.
JK Tyre’s network includes more than 1,500 fleet operators, over 70 mobility customers and 95 retreading centres.
Chief Financial Officer Sanjeev Aggarwal said capital discipline would remain central to expansion.
“Capital allocation is most important,” he said, explaining the company’s preference for outsourcing two- and three-wheeler tyre production rather than committing substantial additional manufacturing investment.
The transition comes amid deteriorating profitability. Consolidated EBITDA fell from ₹535.68 crore to ₹343.14 crore, down 35.9 per cent, during July–September, even as revenue rose from ₹4,011.31 crore to ₹4,840.73 crore, up 20.7 per cent.
With raw materials accounting for approximately 65–67 per cent of manufacturing costs, JK Tyre’s challenge is to convert premium products, technology and fleet services into higher earnings while executing its expansion program.
Published on October 25, 2026
