CEAT Kelani Holdings has announced that it has increased production of Passenger Car Radial (PCR/Van) tyresby 72,000 tyres a year,adding16 per centto itsannual capacity in this category, as part of its expansion plan to support government efforts to conserve foreign exchange through domestic production.
This first phase of the planned expansion of PCR tyre production in 2021 is the result of the commissioning of two new tyre presses at CEAT’s manufacturing complex in Kelaniya. The new presses are the first hydraulic tyre presses installed at CEAT’s manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and come at a 45 per cent premium over their mechanical counterpart, the Company said, disclosing thatthis upgrade in technology will significantly improve the uniformity of the tyre, the ride and handling parameters and the overall aesthetics of the passenger car radial tyres coming off these presses.
The expansion will see CEAT- Kelani’s total Car and Van tyre production capacity going up to 500,000 tyres per annum in some of the most popular tyre sizes for rim sizes ranging from 12 to 14,that fit vehicles such as Maruti 800, Suzuki Alto, Estilo, Omni, Swift and Liana, Mahindra Maximo, Nissan Sunny FB15, FB14, N16, March, Bluebird and AD Wagon, Toyota 110, 121, Vios, Soluna, Starlet and Carina, Honda Civic, Hyundai Accent, Perodua (VIVA Elite) and Cherry QQ. Local demandfor these tyres is rising, especially in the backdrop of the temporary import restrictions imposed by the government.
The next phase of CEAT Kelani’s expansion will take place immediately with the addition of two more tyre presses and a tyre building machine, whereby capacity is envisaged to increase by a further 100,000 radial tyres per annum, the Company said. CEAT Kelani Managing Director Mr Ravi Dadlani said, “Our focus in the past one year has predominantly been on strategically ramping up production in specific tyre categories and sizes to cater to market needs and support the national effort to reduce dependence on imports.”
The travel restrictions necessitated by the pandemic delayed the commissioning of some of the new machines imported for the purpose, but additional radial production is now coming on line and feeding the market.”