BKT's Earthmax OTR Tire Line Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

June 8, 2018

Earthmax, the premium radial OTR tire lineup of Indian tire manufacturer BKT (Balkrishna Industries Ltd.), is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018.

Designed to favor enhanced load distribution on the ground for dumpers, wheel loaders, dozers, graders and some other multi-purpose vehicles, Earthmax is a milestone in BKT’s history. The company says it is the result "of continuously thinking big; of tireless research; and the strong desire for improvement, taking new ideas and approaches to the market."

All 25 models of the range are available in several sizes and versions. Earthmax patterns feature an all-steel structure, which gives the tires increased resistance to the casing against impacts such as punctures, cuts, wear, heat or other adverse conditions.

In addition to durability, the tires have extraordinary traction and stability in order to easily move on the surfaces of big construction sites, quarries and mines.

"Ten years of success for our Earthmax range: safety, performance and quality, which have been continuously further developed, acquiring step by step an enormous meaning for our corporate history," said Arvind Poddar, CEO and president of the BKT Group, to guests at a special celebration in Crete, Greece, recently. "Our past, present and future are concentrated in this tire lineup. For this reason, celebrating this anniversary today, means to highlight the values of innovation and progress, which have led our company ever since.

"Improving the product quality and enhancing the solutions offered has always been BKT’s goal. Hence, the company will not stop its path, making innovation its working philosophy. Today, the company is indeed at the forefront for sustainable tire manufacturing, not least thanks to a recent agreement with a U.S. biotechnology company. Within the context of this cooperation, new compounds will be developed on the basis of TKS rubber, which will gradually replace natural rubber."

Dilip Vaidya, president and director of technology, said BKT is developing high performance compounds by using nanomaterials, which ensure improved thermal and mechanical stability.

"Examples for this experimental research are graphene, nano clay and carbon black," he said. "For the latter material, BKT has recently set up a plant stretching over eight hectares at Bhuj. This is a great advantage for our Earthmax tire lineup under the sign of always looking ahead to face new future challenges with the traditional passion and spirit.”

BKT held a grand opening for its Bhuj, India, OTR manufacturing plant, one of its four plants in India, in 2015. All Earthmax tires are produced in Bhuj.