Steelbird Hi-tech India Ltd, a helmet manufacturer in India that supplies helmets to brands such as Hero, Honda, Yamaha, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Ola, and TVS is planning to establish a manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu .

Steelbird has committed a capital expenditure (CAPEX) of ₹100 crore for the project, with a total planned investment of nearly ₹250 crore. The facility will have an initial production capacity of 20,000 helmets per day and is expected to create direct employment for approximately 2,000 people, according to Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director, Steelbird.

This facility will add to Steelbird’s existing manufacturing plants in Noida and Himachal Pradesh, where the company operates six facilities in Himachal Pradesh and three in Noida. Additionally, Steelbird is planning to establish a cycle helmet manufacturing plant, projected to be operational by the second half of 2025.

South a significant market

Steelbird, which currently holds a 40 per cent share in India’s branded helmet market, anticipates a significant increase in helmet demand. “The annual demand for helmets in India is estimated at 100 million units. However, branded helmet production has not exceeded 30 million units, leaving a substantial gap,” said Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director, Steelbird.

He further explained, “India has over 17 crore vehicles on the road. Assuming a five-year replacement cycle for helmets, the replacement demand alone would amount to approximately 34 million units annually. Additionally, with two helmets typically required for every two-wheeler, new demand could contribute another 40 million helmets per year. This highlights the vast market potential for branded helmets.”

The company views South India as a critical market and expects it to contribute ₹500 crore to its overall topline revenue target of ₹2,500 crore by 2030.

Founded in 1964, Steelbird began manufacturing automobile filters before expanding into helmets and rubber components. The company produced 8 million helmets in calendar year (CY) 2023 and plans to double its output to over 10 million helmets by the end of CY 2024.