JK Tyre & Industries Ltd has suspended tire exports to the US market from India amid the recent tariff hike to 50% by the Trump administration on tire exports from India. The company has diversified those exports to European markets and is looking to further diversify to offset the impact of the US tariff hike, according to the company’s Managing Director Anshuman Singhania. Despite the geopolitical headwinds, Singhania expects export revenue to grow in the mid-single digits during the financial year 2026.
Currently, the US market contributes only around 3% to JK Tyre’s total revenue, limiting the company’s exposure to the US tariff war. “We have stopped our exports from India to the US. But we continue our exports to the US from Mexico, as the trade tariff deal is still going on between the US and Mexico. Exports that have been cut to the US market have been diversified into other global markets. So, we have not got a hit in our business,” Singhania told Autocar Professional.
“We have been able to diversify our products to different markets. Going forward, we are developing new tyres for newer markets as we go along, especially for the European markets. While the US has been a lucrative market for us, there are other geographies as well that offer better opportunities at present. Some markets in Europe and Africa are more lucrative, and we will strengthen our focus there going forward to offset any negative impact from the US.”
Exports have been a steady contributor to JK Tyre’s business. In the financial year 2025, overseas sales accounted for 13.7% of the company’s revenue, or 16% by value. On a consolidated basis, JK Tyre’s export revenue stood at Rs 2,378 crore during the year. The company has established a global footprint through a robust distribution network of more than 200 distributors across over 100 countries.
Even as the global macroeconomic environment remained volatile, JK Tyre managed to maintain its export volumes in the financial year 2025. Singhania acknowledged that geopolitical disruptions and sluggish demand in North America and Europe created headwinds but said the company’s diversified market approach helped cushion the impact.
In terms of product mix, the Off-Highway Tyre (OHT) segment remains the largest contributor to exports by value, followed by Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tyres and Passenger Car Radial (PCR) tyres.
The US administration doubled tariffs on Indian tyre imports to 50% on most categories and 25% on specified categories on August 27, 2025, disrupting India’s Rs 25,000 crore tyre export industry that supplies over 170 countries, with the US accounting for 18% of total exports.
India’s tyre exports have more than doubled from Rs 10,400 crore in FY18 to Rs 25,000 crore in FY25, with the sector accounting for about a quarter of the industry’s revenue. US exports specifically grew from Rs 1,400 crore in FY18 to Rs 4,300 crore in FY25, with the US share rising from 13% to 18% during this period.
JK Tyre’s limited exposure to the US cushions it against immediate financial strain, unlike some peers with higher dependency on North American markets. At the same time, the company’s strategic push into Europe, Africa, and Latin America is expected to strengthen its export resilience.
“The US becomes an area that I think every industry in India has to think about. We do not know what strategy is going to be played out going forward. But as far as JK Tyre is concerned, we have secured our risk in terms of diverting to other markets,” Singhania said.
“We have a good footprint in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, but we have a huge way to go in Europe. So, we feel that the growth for us is going to be quite good. As we develop our products, by the end of this financial year, we will be pushing products in a big way to European countries. So, we have a good throughput coming there.”