BKT: “Here starts a better future”

The multinational company from India embraces a philosophy based on social and environmental responsibility. The company campaigns for numerous projects on several fronts worldwide.  Ideas and investments contributing to make the world a better place for everyone are unstoppable.

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BKT, a major global Off-Highway tire manufacturer, has taken part in international trade shows for a long time, displaying to the public the gist – not only products, but also projects, values, and ideas. Indeed, the BKT brand is based on a totality of essential elements: quality, technology, innovation, service, but also care for the community, for the environment, for people’s future.

Discovering the philosophy of BKT is a real journey that leads to the company’s Indian roots. Not only are these ever present, but they are BKT’s drive in terms of their CSR policy. Thanks to the giving-back principle, the group continues to thank and to give back – particularly to India – as much as possible from what it has received. It does this by facing topics of human solidarity, social development, and environmental responsibility.

BKT Foundation

BKT’s corporate philosophy is clearly expressed in the motto "We Care" - which is included in the BKT Foundation’s logo. The BKT Foundation intensively operates for the purpose of sustaining projects and initiatives of different nature and origin. This includes the health sector and supporting the essential right to study. The purpose is to ensure education to underprivileged children, rescuing them from the streets, and taking them to school. In cooperation with the Government of India, a remarkable school canteen program has been implemented providing food to over 1.4 million children at 10.000 schools located throughout ten Indian states to fight against hunger and malnutrition.

New Community canteen kitchen in Bhuj

Also from a cooperation with the Government of India stems the most recent solidarity initiative to which BKT has been committed: it is the building and opening of a community canteen kitchen in the small town of Bhuj in the Indian state of Gujarat, where BKT’s latest production site has been set up – a brilliant example of social factory. Even though being already a model structure, BKT continues its commitment to further improving this area by enriched services.

The canteen can provide food for 50 thousand students belonging to local schools. The purpose is to encourage underprivileged families to send their children to school to obtain a free meal. The project combines and embodies two essential pillars for the future: nutrition and education. Two key topics for which BKT has recently made an awareness-raising video that was launched on January 26, on the occasion of the Indian Republic Day.

Beyond India. BKT’s solidarity projects worldwide

BKT has participated directly or by means of their distribution partners in countless welfare initiatives.

The most recent initiative was the BKT Christmas Week, launched in the 2018Christmas season, including three specific fund-raising activities in favor of the less fortunate donating them a better Christmas: in Italy (through visibility in the stadiums where the Serie BKT takes place), in France (in the Coupe de la Ligue BKT matches), and in Australia (in the matches of the KFC Big Bash League, of which BKT is a partner).

BKT has acted along with its distributor in Spain making a donation to Aspanoa, a Spanish association sustaining families with children suffering from cancer.

BKT has participated side by side with Amref in the Xtractor initiative for farming projects in South Africa. Moreover, in Australia the company donated along with its local distributor 30,000 Australian dollars to farmers hit by the worst drought ever through the Aussi Helpers organization and to the Ronald McDonald House in Tamworth providing hospitality to families whose children are hospitalized in the same town.

Together with the Italian soccer world champion, Paolo Rossi, the company has organized an auction with Pablito’s shirts, donating its contribution to Parada Italia, the Association that helps children living in the streets of Bucarest in extreme disadvantageous conditions.

“At BKT, we are fully aware of the disadvantages experienced by a large part of this world, and we wish to play an active role contributing to improve everybody’s living conditions” Lucia Salmaso, MD of BKT Europe states. “This is the only way we can imagine thinking of the future for ourselves and for the coming generations. And the future passes through sustainability. As a company, we have a huge responsibility and we must be an example. This is why we invest in many projects that enable us to significantly reduce the environmental impact of our production sites and of the tires we manufacture.”

Research in an alternative for natural rubber

The increasing global demand for rubber, which will reach 17 million tons by 2025, will soon cause a raw material shortage.

Presently, natural rubber is obtained from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), a plant originating from South America, which grows only in equatorial zones threatened by deforestation.

BKT has immediately recognized the importance and urgency of researching into sustainable alternatives. For the purpose of developing new compounding methods based on the use of rubber from the Russian Dandelion TKS, a renewable and sustainable alternative to natural rubber, BKT has stipulated a Joint Research Agreement with Kultevat Inc., an American company specialized in green technology headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri. All studies and trials will be carried out in BKT’s advanced Research and Development Center, the “Suresh Poddar Innovation Hub”. As to the agreement, one ton of stabilized TKS rubber will be delivered to BKT by October 2019 for specific development testing.

BKT’s firm intention to make the entire world a better place never stops. The company always has numerous corporate projects to contribute to the progress underway. Its strong commitment to activities of several nature gives evidence. There is a long list of numerous initiatives signed by BKT – not only in India, but on a global scale.

As a multinational group showing presence in 160 countries, BKT feels the responsibility of being the carrier for a positive message on a global level, since every community and every place is important – no matter how small they might be.