KORTRIJK, Belgium (Feb. 11)—Bekaert N.V. has begun production of steel tire cord at a joint venture plant in India, expanding its presence in Asia to four factories.
The new facility in Pune starts production with annual capacity of 5,000 metric tons, Bekaert said, but can be expanded in line with market growth. Bekaert said it considers India a key growth market for the future, based on the steady growth of the vehicle population and the increasing radialization of the country's tire production capacities.
The start of production comes five years after Bekaert first announced plans for the Indian factory. The project was delayed at least once because of market conditions.