French tyre major Michelin unveiled its first Made-in-India premium passenger vehicle tyre at its Chennai plant on Tuesday. The tyres will be commercially available across India by the first half of 2026, joining competitors like MRF, JK Tyres, Apollo, and Ceat.
Investment and Production Details
Michelin has invested ₹686 crore in the Chennai car tyre plant, adding to the ₹2,800 crore spent since the plant’s inauguration in 2009. Constructed in a record 12 months, the facility will manufacture 16- to 22-inch tyres across ranges such as LTX Trail ST, Pilot Sport 4 SUV, Pilot Sport 5, and Primacy 5. The first batch to roll out will be the Primacy 5 tyres.
Focus on Indian Market and Premium Segment
Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director for Michelin India, highlighted that the tyres will primarily cater to the Indian market. “Our story coincides with India’s growth story. Rising incomes, better infrastructure, and changing consumer preferences are driving the premiumisation of the car market,” he said.
Michelin aims to target SUVs and large cars, with tyres above 16 inches. SUVs already make up over 50% of the market, valued at $18 billion in 2024 and expected to reach $34 billion by 2030, growing at nearly 11% CAGR.
Pune: Michelin’s Global Hub
Pune remains Michelin’s global centre for data, AI, R&D, and corporate business services, employing over 1,300 staff for AI and data transformation. The city also hosts the global R&D centre, which develops new materials, research methods, simulation, and digital tools, supporting operations across 40 legal entities in 33 countries.
Future Plans
Vitor Silva, President of the Africa, India, and Middle East region, said that if growth targets are met, the Chennai plant could become one of Michelin’s largest globally.
