Apollo Tyres has commissioned its seventh manufacturing unit globally, and its fifth in India today. The first tyre rolled out today from the Andhra Pradesh greenfield facility in the southern part of the country.
Chairman Onkar S Kanwar, vice-chairman and MD, Neeraj Kanwar, supervisory Board members along with the entire senior management team participated virtually in the plant opening.
Located in Chinnapanduru village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh (AP), Apollo Tyres’ newest manufacturing facility is spread over 256 acres and employs 850 people. The company will invest close to Rs 3,800 crore in the Phase I of this greenfield facility. While the capacity will be ramped up gradually in the next 12-18 months, by 2022, in line with growing demand, the plant will have a capacity to produce 15,000 passenger car tyres and 3,000 truck-bus radials each day. With a modular layout, the capacity at this facility can be replicated with minimal engineering efforts and with economies on investments.
Commenting on the commissioning of the new facility, Onkar S Kanwar said: “This ultra-modern facility is a reflection of our growth aspirations and manufacturing capabilities, showcasing some of the best practices available across the globe in tyre manufacturing. This highly automated plant uses IT-driven systems and robotics, and employs young and skilled associates on the shopfloor, mostly hired locally. This plant mirrors the hopes and aspirations of the new self-reliant India. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Andhra Pradesh government for all the support that they have extended towards setting up of this facility.”
Green facility
The new plant has been designed to accommodate roof-top solar panels, to be introduced in a phased manner, for optimum usage of natural light for the shopfloor with an eco-friendly power source, and as a zero water discharge facility with an in-built effluent treatment plant. In addition, the company has ensured the usage of energy efficient utility and process equipments, and environment friendly coolants.
To improve productivity and reduce human fatigue, ergonomically balanced and weight optimised material handling equipment has been used across the facility. A ‘spine’ like central utility corridor services both passenger car and truck radial units in a seamless fashion.
This Manufacturing Execution System (MES) integrated plant has been set-up using 35000 tonnes of steel, and around 1.23 lakh cubic metre of concrete, with 12 million man hours of construction work. Currently, the built-up area of this facility is 216000 square metres, and it employs around 850 people.