Bansal Wire Industries makes steel wire – bead wire for tyres, springs for suspension systems, cables for automotive assemblies – the sort of components that disappear into finished products and are only noticed when they fail. It is a business built on specification sheets and delivery schedules, not product launches.

Yet the company is in the middle of something that warrants attention. Installed capacity now exceeds 600,000 tonnes. Volumes in the most recent fiscal year grew by over 30 percent. The company is entering the steel tyre cord segment – a product India has never meaningfully manufactured domestically – and is simultaneously pushing into higher-specification wire grades that command better margins and serve more demanding applications.

Pranav Bansal, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, attributes none of this to fortune. The automotive sector is changing, he says – electrification, premiumisation, tighter quality requirements across the supply chain – and the company has been positioning itself for those changes for some time. The conversation that follows is about where that positioning leads.

AUTOMOTIVE TAILWINDS

The automotive sector, he says, is at the centre of everything. Not because car sales are booming – though they are – but because the nature of what a car now demands from its components has changed in ways that reward exactly what his company does.

“Across vehicle segments, there is a clear increase in requirements for reliability and consistency in core components. This directly impacts demand for steel wire products used in applications such as tyre bead wire, steel tyre cord, springs, auto cables and other critical automotive components where performance and durability are essential, “he says.

The shift towards electric vehicles has sharpened that dynamic considerably. EVs are heavier than their internal combustion equivalents. That additional weight increases mechanical stress on every load-bearing component, including tyres. Premium tyre grades – already in growing demand as Indian consumers trade up – require reinforcement materials built to tighter tolerances. The thread running through all of it is quality: the ability to hold a specification, batch after batch, without drift. That is, in Bansal’s telling, precisely what the company has spent years building the capacity to deliver. “While infrastructure and engineering continue to support overall demand, the automotive sector remains a key driver, both in terms of scale and the evolution of product requirements,” Bansal says.

THE CORD BET

The more immediately consequential wager, however, is steel tyre cord – the high-tensile reinforcing material woven into a tyre’s carcass and belt structure. It is a product that India has, for the most part, not made. The domestic tyre industry has historically imported it, primarily from a small number of established global producers. Bansal Wire intends to change that.

"India currently relies on imports of steel tyre cord, creating a strong opportunity for domestic manufacturing. Our entry into this segment is a focused step towards building this capability in India," Bansal says.

He is careful about how he frames the competitive case. Steel tyre cord is not a market one enters by undercutting on price. Global tyre OEMs run structured, multi-stage validation processes before approving a new supplier, and those processes are neither quick nor forgiving. Bansal does not try to compress that timeline rhetorically. “Approvals from global OEMs follow a structured and time-intensive process, involving multiple validation stages. Our approach is to build capability, demonstrate consistency over time and then scale relationships once approvals are in place,” he explains.

What he is offering, in the near term, is not a displacement of established players but a domestic alternative for a supply chain that has good reason to want one. The argument intersects neatly with national industrial policy – Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat – without depending on it. The structural case stands independently: a reliable domestic source of a critical input, available without the freight, lead time and currency exposure that imports carry. The company is simultaneously working towards pairing steel tyre cord with bead wire, which it already produces. For a tyre manufacturer, sourcing from a single domestic supplier simplifies procurement considerably and improves supply assurance. That integration is central to the pitch.

MOVING UP

Alongside the tyre cord push, Bansal Wire has launched in-house-treated, oil-hardened and tempered wires – products used in high-performance automotive applications such as valve springs and suspension components. These are not commodity lines. They require tighter dimensional tolerances, more demanding heat-treatment processes and more rigorous quality documentation than standard wire grades. They also command better margins.

“Unlike standard wires, these applications require tighter specifications and greater reliability, which allows for better realisation and more stable margins over time,” Bansal says.

The logic of the portfolio shift is deliberate. Moving into higher-specification products does not require abandoning the volume business – the two coexist within the same manufacturing footprint – but it gradually shifts the revenue mix. As speciality products take a larger share of output, the company becomes less exposed to commodity price cycles and more valuable to customers with fewer alternative suppliers. “This allows us to move higher up the value chain while maintaining a balanced portfolio and positions us well to support future requirements of the automotive industry,” Bansal says. It is a repositioning years in the making, and he shows no impatience with its pace.

PLI AND CAPITAL

Bankrolling part of that transition is a commitment of INR 700 million under the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for speciality steel, which will fund approximately 90,000 tonnes of new capacity at the company’s Sanand facility. The PLI incentive improves the investment’s return profile; the speciality focus means the new capacity generates better margins per tonne than an equivalent expansion of a commodity would. “This investment is therefore aimed at strengthening our product mix and supporting long-term growth,” Bansal says.

Expansions are also underway at the Dadri facility. Bansal’s framework for thinking about capital allocation across sites is deliberately non-ideological. He does not treat brownfield and greenfield as competing philosophies, or as choices that require one to be favoured over the other. “We look at brownfield and greenfield not as separate choices but as complementary approaches depending on the requirement,” he says. Brownfield works where existing infrastructure can be leveraged and operational continuity matters; greenfield is necessary when new technical capabilities need to be built without the constraints of a legacy layout. Steel tyre cord, given its technical specificity, falls clearly into the latter category.

In both cases, investment decisions are anchored in demand visibility, not just growth goals. “We focus on measured capital deployment, emphasising efficiency, consistency and long-term value over scale for its own sake,” he says. Industry overcapacity can erode returns, so maintaining this restraint is vital.

MARGIN ARCHITECTURE

That instinct for discipline extends to how the company manages its cost structure day to day. Bansal Wire operates on a cost-plus basis, which provides a degree of insulation from raw material price volatility that purely market-priced competitors lack. The model means that swings in wire rod costs – the primary input – do not automatically compress margins as they might for a company selling at fixed market prices.

Combined with rising asset utilisation – which distributes fixed costs across higher volumes as the capacity base fills – the model has allowed the company to grow margins alongside revenue. “As utilisation increases, fixed costs are distributed across higher volumes, which supports margins,” Bansal explains. The simplicity of the statement belies the operational consistency required actually to deliver it.

Customer retention has also played a role that Bansal is reluctant to understate. The company’s key customer relationships have proved durable over time, and Bansal notes that retention among its most important accounts has remained strong. That durability provides demand visibility – a meaningful advantage when planning capacity additions – and reduces the kind of revenue volatility that can destabilise an investment cycle.

EXPORT AMBITIONS

Bansal Wire currently serves customers in more than 50 countries. The geopolitical turbulence of recent years has not prompted a strategic retreat from export markets, though it has reinforced the value of running a diversified book. Global supply chain disruptions have increased international buyers’ appetite for suppliers who can demonstrate reliability and financial stability. “Demand across markets has remained stable, and global customers continue to look for reliable suppliers,” Bansal says.

The company intends to maintain a balanced split between domestic and international revenue, expanding both in parallel rather than trading one off against the other. India’s domestic demand base – across automotive, infrastructure and industrial sectors – provides the stability and visibility that allows the export business to be pursued opportunistically rather than defensively. Bansal says, “Going forward, we will continue to strengthen both domestic and export markets. The focus will be on maintaining a balanced mix while expanding our presence in key international markets.”

TECHNOLOGY’S ROLE

Underlying all of it is a sustained wager on technology – specifically, on the role of automation and in-house research and development in sustaining quality at scale. In the speciality segments Bansal Wire is moving into, process control is not incidental to the value proposition. It is the value proposition. Steel tyre cord that varies from one coil to the next is not the steel tyre cord that a global OEM will put through qualification. The margins that speciality products command exist precisely because producing them consistently is difficult.

“We are investing in advanced machinery, automation and in-house R&D to strengthen these capabilities. Automation and process improvements help us maintain consistent quality while operating at higher volume,” Bansal says. The investment extends beyond equipment to the quality systems, testing infrastructure and technical personnel needed to operate at the standards global customers require.

Industry trends, he argues, only reinforce the case for continued investment. Demand for high-performance wire products across automotive and industrial applications is rising, driven by the same forces – electrification, premiumisation and tighter safety standards – that are reshaping the broader materials landscape. In that context, technology is not a discretionary spend. It is the price of remaining relevant.

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Epsilon Carbon has significantly expanded its manufacturing footprint with the formal activation of a new 300,000-tonne-per-annum speciality carbon plant in Vijayanagar, Karnataka. This latest addition brings the company’s aggregate production capacity in this segment to 600,000 tonnes annually, a development that elevates the firm to a leading position among domestic producers and reinforces India’s broader influence in the international speciality carbon market.

The new installation operates on a fully digitised manufacturing architecture, incorporating real-time process monitoring, automated quality controls and interconnected production systems. Such technological integration is intended to minimise operational variability, maximise throughput and provide overseas buyers with a stable and predictable supply base across multiple product categories.

Output from the Vijayanagar complex will encompass a wide array of coal-tar derivatives, including binder and impregnated pitches, refined naphthalene, anthracene and creosote oils and wash oil. These intermediates find application across a spectrum of heavy and light industries, ranging from primary aluminium and graphite electrode production to tyre compounding, pigment formulation, pharmaceutical synthesis and speciality construction materials.

Looking ahead, the company has outlined a trajectory towards further capacity enhancement, with a proposed integrated facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha, expected to push total speciality carbon output to one million tonnes per annum by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the Karnataka plant has been configured with closed-loop water management, recycling all treated effluent internally, and derives its entire power requirement from a 17‑megawatt captive unit running on recycled process off-gases. Certifications such as Responsible Care, EcoVadis Silver and SA8000 attest to the company’s adherence to stringent safety, environmental and labour standards.

Gaurav Mathur, Chief Executive Officer, Epsilon Carbon, said, "This expansion reflects India's growing capability to become a global supplier of speciality carbon materials. With 600,000 TPA of Speciality Carbon capacity, we are strengthening supply chain resilience for both domestic industries and international customers, particularly the global aluminium sector. As the world looks to diversify supply chains, Epsilon Carbon is proud to contribute to India's emergence as a reliable, sustainable and globally competitive manufacturing hub."

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HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS participated in the China Composite Expo 2026 (CCE 2026), held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai from 1 to 3 September. This annual event stands as Asia’s largest specialised exhibition for composite materials, drawing a significant global audience.

The company has been a consistent participant in CCE since 2013, leveraging the expo to progressively reinforce its foothold in the Asian market. At this year’s showcase, the strategic focus was on its portfolio of high-performance carbon fibre products, which are increasingly recognised as essential materials for advanced sectors including energy, mobility and aerospace due to their superior tensile strength and modulus.

Central to the presentation were actual samples of TANSOME, the company’s proprietary carbon fibre brand developed through in-house technologies. The exhibit featured a diverse range of applications, from mobility components like automotive wheels, hoods and brake discs to sporting goods such as hockey sticks and pickleball rackets, as well as high-pressure vessels for hydrogen and oxygen, drones and wire cores.

In parallel, HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS emphasised its robust manufacturing capabilities and stable supply chain, supported by production bases in Korea, China and Vietnam. This strategy reinforces its standing as a leading global carbon fibre manufacturer. Notably, the company achieved a milestone in 2011 as the first in Korea to independently develop TANSOME, a material 4 times lighter and 10 times stronger than steel. This was followed by the 2022 launch of H3065, a T-1000-grade fibre with strength exceeding steel by over 14 times, designed for demanding aerospace applications.

Jin Dal Lim, CEO, HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS, said, “This exhibition is an important opportunity to further strengthen strategic partnerships with global customers and demonstrate the outstanding technological capabilities of HS HYOSUNG’s carbon fibre. We will continue to build deeper trust in the global market based on world-class product quality and stable supply capabilities.”

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Bekaert has taken a decisive step towards reshaping its operational footprint in Sardinia by securing a preliminary deal with Nuova Icom, a local engineering entity. The arrangement paves the way for the handover of the Macchiareddu premises and guarantees job continuity for the existing staff stationed there, subject to the final stipulations of the contract.

The decision stems from long-term turbulence in the tyre sector, which has steadily undermined the commercial viability of the plant's primary output. With tyre cord manufacturing struggling to remain profitable amidst evolving industry dynamics, the company concluded that a fundamental operational shift was unavoidable.

This initiative follows an extensive search for sustainable alternatives, emphasising regional employment preservation. Bekaert remains attuned to the social ramifications of the transition and pledges to engage transparently with all affected parties. The prospective ownership change is scheduled for completion by October 2026, pending regulatory clearances and the finalisation of employee consultations.

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Every day, tyre recyclers face the same challenge: processing more tyres while maintaining sorting quality, protecting equipment and meeting increasing traceability requirements. Every misidentified tyre represents lost value. Every hidden contaminant can lead to costly downtime. Every manual operation limits productivity.

As tyre volumes continue to grow worldwide, the question is no longer whether tyre sorting should be automated. It is how quickly operators can adopt technologies that make their facilities more efficient, more reliable and more profitable.

As a specialist in intelligent tyre identification, sorting and traceability solutions, REGOM is actively contributing to this transformation through technologies designed to help recyclers process more tyres, improve sorting quality and gain better visibility over their operations.

Through artificial intelligence, advanced inspection technologies and digital traceability, the company is helping transform end-of-life tyres from a waste stream into a valuable resource.

SMARTER TYRE SORTING THROUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

For decades, tyre sorting relied heavily on manual inspections performed by experienced operators. While this approach remains valuable, it can be time-consuming and difficult to scale as tyre volumes continue to increase.

To address these challenges, REGOM has developed intelligent tyre identification technologies capable of automatically reading and analysing tyres in just a few seconds. Powered by artificial intelligence and advanced image recognition, these systems capture and process tyre information in real time, generating reliable data that can immediately be used by operators.

The benefits are significant. Automated identification increases processing capacity through a continuous production flow and automatic evacuation rates of up to 25 percent. It improves sorting consistency, with customers reporting grading quality improvements of up to 3 percent while reducing the risk of human error. By automating repetitive identification and sorting tasks, operators can focus on higher-value activities. Every tyre is identified in just 2.5 seconds and enriched with detailed product data, creating a fully traceable digital record from collection to grading and reporting. This structured database supports regulatory compliance, operational monitoring and data-driven decision-making while preparing facilities for future traceability requirements.

Importantly, artificial intelligence is not designed to replace operators. Instead, it helps redefine their role by automating repetitive tasks and enabling them to focus on activities that require experience, expertise and decision-making. This shift supports higher productivity while creating greater value from human involvement throughout the sorting process.

As the industry continues to evolve, AI-driven sorting is becoming an essential component of modern tyre recycling facilities.

While artificial intelligence enables faster and more reliable identification, another challenge remains: Detecting contaminants hidden in whole tyre or shreds flows.

Some metallic objects or other contaminants not visible during standard inspections may end up in the flow of shreds or whole end-of-life tyres. Once these contaminants enter shredders, pyrolysis units or downstream processing equipment, they can cause costly damage, unplanned maintenance and production downtime.

To address this issue, REGOM has been investing for several years in the development of innovative X-Ray inspection technologies. This new machine aims to detect hidden contaminants before tyres enter critical processing stages. By identifying potential risks at an early stage, operators can better protect their equipment and avoid costly interruptions.

If your shredder or downstream equipment has already suffered unexpected downtime due to hidden contaminants, you already know the consequences: production stops, maintenance costs increase and valuable processing time is lost.

The challenge is that many contaminants remain invisible during traditional inspections and are only discovered once they have reached critical equipment.

This is where X-Ray technology can make a significant difference. By detecting hidden metallic objects and other contaminants before tyres enter shredders, pyrolysis units or other processing equipment, operators can reduce risks, protect critical assets and maintain smoother operations.

The benefits extend throughout the entire recycling process: lower maintenance costs, improved equipment availability, increased operational reliability and ultimately higher productivity.

“The X-Ray solution we are developing directly addresses our customers’ need to automate their operations, making them more reliable and consistent in an increasingly challenging labour market.

The X-Ray solution we are developing directly addresses our customers’ need to automate their operations, making them more reliable and consistent in an increasingly challenging labour market. This inspection system also helps mitigate a growing risk: fires caused by the increasing number of batteries found in end-of-life tyres. By reducing operational costs while ensuring consistent production, this solution delivers significant operational benefits and enhances overall efficiency,” says Arthur Wagner – CEO, REGOM.

TURNING DATA INTO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

One of the most significant transformations occurring within the tyre recycling industry is the growing importance of data.

Historically, large quantities of operational information remained unavailable or underutilised. Today, advanced sorting technologies generate valuable data that can be used to improve decision-making across the entire facility.

By combining artificial intelligence, automated identification and digital traceability, operators gain a clearer understanding of incoming tyre flows and sorting performance. This information supports regulatory compliance, facilitates reporting and provides greater transparency throughout the recycling process.

More importantly, data enables continuous improvement. Facilities can identify trends, optimise workflows and make more informed investment decisions based on objective operational insights.

The result is a more efficient, more transparent and more resilient recycling operation.

SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TYRE RECYCLING IN INDIA

India is one of the world’s most dynamic markets for tyre recycling and resource recovery. As the sector continues to grow, operators face the same challenges seen across the globe: increasing volumes, higher performance expectations and a growing need for traceability.

Recognising this opportunity, REGOM has partnered with PLANNEX to support the deployment of advanced tyre sorting technologies throughout the Indian market.

By combining REGOM’s expertise in intelligent tyre sorting and traceability with PLANNEX’s strong local presence and industry knowledge, the partnership aims to provide Indian recyclers with access to innovative solutions designed to improve productivity, sorting quality and operational performance.

Together, REGOM and PLANNEX share a common vision: helping recyclers unlock greater value from every tyre while supporting the transition towards a more efficient and sustainable circular economy.

THE FUTURE OF TYRE RECYCLING

The future of tyre recycling is not simply about processing larger quantities of tyres. It is about understanding each tyre better, managing resources more effectively and extracting maximum value from every material entering the recycling stream.

Through artificial intelligence, advanced inspection technologies and data-driven decision-making, REGOM is contributing to this transformation by helping operators build safer, smarter and more efficient recycling facilities.

The challenge is no longer simply to process more tyres. The challenge is to extract more value from every tyre entering the recycling stream.

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