Yokohama India is expanding its tyre manufacturing capacity from 4.5 million up to 6.3 million units to meet the rising demand for SUV tyres.

The company shared these plans this week, outlining that it has already identified space at its existing plants to add the required machinery.

Nitin Mantri, Member of the Board and Senior Managing Officer at Yokohama, said the expansion will roll out in stages as demand grows.

He also indicated that if demand pushes past this new target, the Japanese parent company is willing to invest further for growth in India. Yokohama estimates that roughly 80% of SUVs sold in India are monocoque models.

To capture this market, the company is bringing its Geolandar tyres to smaller diameters, including 16-inch sizes, targeting high-volume vehicles like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

Alongside the capacity update, Yokohama launched its new Geolandar X-CV tyre range. The company is taking technology originally developed for luxury SUVs with 18-inch wheels and scaling it down for the crossover segment.

The new range will offer 32 sizes spanning 16 to 20 inches, covering models such as the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Tata Nexon EV, and Mahindra XUV700. Yokohama has put over Rs 3,000 crore into its Vizag facility over the past four years.

Total investment across its passenger car and off-highway tyre operations in the country is now approaching Rs 7,000 crore over the last five to six years. It has also announced plans for a new investment in Odisha.

As more capacity opens up, Yokohama plans to expand its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) business.

It currently supplies mainly to Maruti Suzuki, but intends to add premium vehicle brands to support its broader market positioning.

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