Epsilon Carbon, a leading global manufacturer of carbon black launches best-in-class N134, a
specialized hard grade carbon black known for its superior abrasion resistance and durability.
Currently, the high-quality N134 grade is being imported due to the lack of consistent quality and
supply chain issues in the Indian market. As a result, the tire companies modify their formulations
using other grades of Carbon Black, often leading to reduced performance.
Epsilon Carbon will be the first Indian company to install a dedicated manufacturing unit designed
for producing the N134 grade hard carbon, notes a company press communique. This development
addresses a long-standing challenge of the struggle to source consistent, high-quality N134 carbon
black faced by the domestic & global tire industries. In India, until now, tire manufacturers have
relied heavily on imports to meet their performance requirements for premium tires used in heavy
goods vehicles and high-performance passenger cars, where wear resistance is critical for both
safety and mileage.
This high-quality N134 Hard Black will be produced from Epsilon Carbon’s newly expanded facility at
the Vijayanagar carbon complex, which now has a production capacity of 215,000 tons of carbon
black. The company’s entry into this space not only supports the government’s ‘Make in India’ and
import substitution initiatives but also opens doors for exporting to high-end global tire markets in
the US & Europe.
Mr Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon Carbon, said during the launch, “This is a proud
moment for us and for India’s carbon black manufacturing sector as the high quality N134 black will
significantly reduce import dependency and provide tire manufacturers in India and abroad with a
reliable, high-quality product. Our goal is to match global standards while building India’s capability
to serve premium markets.”