CEAT lines up ₹1k-cr capex in FY25, flags margin woes

RPG Group’s CEAT has a ₹1,000 crore capex to counter rising natural rubber and freight costs, with staggered 1.5-2.5% price hikes and an additional 5-6% expected. Margins dropped 300 basis points in June and remain pressured in the second quarter. Investments improve R&D, IT, and factory efficiency, expand specialty tyres at Chennai and Ambernath, and de-bottleneck Halol.