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Mr. Farid Ahmed

Head - Product Management (OHT), Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, BKT

Part 1: The Pulse of Global Exhibitions and Why Physical Presence Matters

In an age where digital catalogues and online showcases are everywhere, massive physical exhibitions like bauma continue to be a cornerstone for BKT. From your perspective, what is it about the physical, ground-level energy of these expos that digital platforms still cannot replicate?

Exhibitions such as Bauma ConExpo provide an invaluable platform for direct, real-time engagement with OEMs, customers, distributors and other industry stakeholders. They enable us to understand first-hand how equipment requirements are developing across construction and mining, while gaining a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges emerging across applications.

At Bauma ConExpo 2026, this engagement shaped our product showcase, including EARTHMAX SR 30, AIROMAX AM 27, MINE FORCE, EARTHMAX EXPERTO GD1, XL GRIP NEO, DYNA HAUL, CONSTEER and EARTHMAX SR423. Each product addresses specific application requirements, including load-carrying capability, traction, stability, durability, heat management and service life. The opportunity to engage directly with customers and understand their operating requirements provide valuable context that complements digital platforms.

This is why our approach remains centred on providing the right tyre for the right application, supported by strong R&D, rigorous testing and a clear understanding of ground realities. Platforms such as Bauma play an important role in strengthening this understanding and translating market requirements into tyre technologies that contribute to greater productivity, reliability and efficiency.

When you look back at the footfall, conversations, and engagement at your pavilion during the recent Bauma edition, what stood out to you the most? Were there specific customer discussions or unexpected inquiries from contractors and OEMs that gave you a fresh perspective this time around?

The conversations at Bauma reflected a growing focus on application-specific requirements, with customers and industry stakeholders engaging closely on productivity, uptime, tyre performance and operating economics, rather than only on general product features.

We also saw a clear focus on how construction and mining equipment requirements are changing, particularly with longer operating cycles, higher speeds and load requirements, alongside growing interest in radialisation, electrification and digitalisation. These interactions reinforced the importance of developing solutions around specific application needs. The market insights gathered through these conversations help us identify emerging requirements and translate them into focused product development priorities.

Part 2: Engineering for Reality and Product Focus

Every major exhibition comes with a carefully curated product lineup, from your flagship EARTHMAX series down to specialised industrial compounds. Could you walk us through the thought process behind what BKT chose to spotlight this season, and what message you wanted to send to fleet owners dealing with brutal terrains and gruelling operational cycles?

Our product selection at the exhibition was guided by the specific applications and performance requirements across construction, mining and industrial operations. We showcased solutions including EARTHMAX SR 30, AIROMAX AM 27, MINE FORCE, EARTHMAX EXPERTO GD1, XL GRIP NEO, DYNA HAUL, CONSTEER and EARTHMAX SR423.

A key focus was the changing requirements in mining around speed, load and haul distance. DYNA HAUL, has been developed for tipper mining applications involving longer hauls, higher speeds and demanding loads. XL GRIP ULTRA remains an important tipper mining solution, while XL GRIP NEO is designed for longer-haul operations with a focus on heat dissipation and mileage.

We are also seeing rapid radialisation in mining. As part of this, we are developing MTR (Mining Truck Radial), with EARTHMAX EXPERTO GD1, an all-steel radial tyre. These developments reflect our focus on providing the right tyre for the right application, with greater productivity, reliability and service life.

With the construction and mining sectors constantly scaling up equipment sizes and pushing for heavier load capacities, how has the engineering conversation changed? What are fleet operators asking for today that they were not prioritising three or five years ago?

The conversation has increasingly shifted from basic durability to comprehensive performance across the equipment's operating life. Fleet operators are placing greater emphasis on uptime, productivity, fuel efficiency, heat management, service life and overall operating economics.

This shift is also being influenced by developments in equipment, including radialisation, electrification, automation and digitalisation. Tyres therefore need to be engineered with these requirements in mind, with greater attention to load-bearing capability, rolling resistance, heat dissipation, traction and consistent performance across demanding operating cycles. This broader approach enables tyre development to support not only durability, but also overall equipment efficiency and lifecycle performance.

Part 3: The Technology Shift in Heavy Equipment

There is a great deal of discussion across heavy industries regarding automation, data analytics, and software integration, such as digital tyre tracking systems and sensor telemetry. How is BKT navigating this shift? Do you find that customers are actively asking for data-driven or smart-monitoring tyre solutions, or is the market still driven fundamentally by raw physical durability and cost-per-hour?

The market is increasingly looking at technology and tyre performance as complementary elements. Monitoring technologies that track parameters such as tyre pressure and temperature can provide greater visibility into tyre and equipment performance, supporting timely intervention, maintenance planning and improved fleet utilisation.

At the same time, the fundamentals of tyre performance remain critical. Customers continue to value durability, reliability, traction, service life and operating efficiency. The opportunity lies in combining a well-engineered tyre with greater visibility into its condition and performance, enabling customers to make more informed maintenance and fleet-management decisions.

Looking at how software and predictive maintenance are starting to influence fleet management, how do you see the traditional rubber and tread business intersecting with technology moving forward? Is BKT positioning itself to bridge that gap for modern operators?

The tyre is increasingly becoming an integral part of the broader equipment ecosystem. As fleets adopt greater levels of automation, electrification and digital systems, tyre performance needs to be considered alongside wider equipment performance, efficiency and maintenance requirements.

For BKT, this means continuing to strengthen the tyre itself while closely understanding how changing equipment architectures and operating requirements are influencing tyre performance. Our R&D teams are closely tracking these developments, including the transition towards electric and automated equipment, where factors such as lower rolling resistance and load capability are becoming increasingly important. 

This approach allows us to align tyre engineering with the changing needs of modern equipment and support customers.

Part 4: Looking Ahead to the Future

Sustainability has evolved from being a corporate talking point to an operational necessity, especially with carbon reduction goals gaining momentum in mining and construction. How is BKT balancing the heavy demands of manufacturing rugged off-highway tyres with circularity, eco-conscious compounding, and greener production footprints?

Sustainability today is embedded in how we manufacture, with a strong focus on resource efficiency, circularity and the responsible use of materials. In FY 2024-25, 32% of our raw materials came from renewable sources, while more than 98% of process waste was recycled.

Our integrated manufacturing ecosystem at Bhuj is central to this approach. BKT produces carbon black in-house, the facility operates on a zero-liquid-discharge model with complete water recycling, and initiatives involving reclaimed rubber, recycled steel and reused feedstock further support circularity.

We have also introduced a pneumatic transfer system that has replaced bulk bags, eliminating nearly 100,000 bags annually, reducing energy consumption by up to 70% and lowering CO2 emissions by more than two million kilograms annually.

Our objective is to deliver the performance and reliability expected from off-highway tyres while continuously improving the efficiency with which we use materials, energy and resources across our manufacturing operations.

As we look toward the remainder of the year and prepare for upcoming industry milestones, what is the core message BKT wants to leave the construction and mining community with? What is the main priority guiding your next phase of growth?

As we look ahead, BKT's focus is on building on its strong OHT foundation while strengthening its capabilities for the next phase of industry growth. This means staying closely aligned with changing requirements across construction and mining and translating these insights into solutions that support productivity, reliability and efficiency.

Our Vision 2030 reflects this broader ambition, with a target of reaching INR 23,000 crore in revenue by FY2030, supported by growth across OHT, Carbon Black and new tyre categories. Alongside this, Elevate Your Drive (EYD) reflects BKT's commitment to building confidence through performance. Our focus remains on working closely with customers and industry partners to deliver the performance, reliability and confidence needed for the next phase of growth.