1. Copper-free CV brake pads - North America - The company has introduced premium copper-free commercial vehicle brake pads in North America and reports good market acceptance and adoption. This opens a regulatory-driven replacement cycle in the company's largest export market, where copper-free mandates create a near-term upgrade opportunity.
2. Industrial and Railway friction - commercial supplies from Q2 2026 - Niche Industrial and Railway friction products have received initial customer approvals, with commercial supplies planned to commence from the second quarter of 2026. This adds a new revenue stream outside automotive cycles, with development work already converted into customer approvals.
3. Export recovery post-tariff reversal - The US Supreme Court struck down the 50% tariffs on 20 February 2026, enabling trade to return to pre-tariff levels, after the export segment declined 17% in FY26. A return to pre-tariff volumes would recover roughly ₹2,300 lakhs of lost foreign exchange, directly lifting revenue and plant utilisation.
4. Composite business - defence and drone components - The company has developed CFRP/AFRP drone structural parts for defence applications and CFRP structural arm parts for agricultural drones, with management expecting composites to become a "significant growth engine in the near future". These long-gestation projects are now producing specific, named components for customers, moving from development to supply.
5. Indian aftermarket expansion - The company is "aggressively expanding its range and presence in the Indian aftermarket," with independent aftermarket sales up 4% from the last financial year. A wider product range and direct-to-stockist distribution can lift the higher-margin aftermarket mix, which management expects to fuel growth in 2026-27 and beyond.
6. CV lined shoe assembly - North America and Australia - The company has introduced commercial vehicle lined shoe assemblies for customers in North America and Australia, with good market acceptance. This moves the company up the value chain from friction material supply to assembled product, increasing content per vehicle.
7. Novel reusable products - tariff mitigation - The company has initiated testing of novel reusable products that can mitigate future tariffs while improving environmental impact, logistics costs, and customer unit economics. A reusable design structurally lowers the landed-cost risk from any future trade barriers in the core North American market.
8. Process technology - capacity without large capex - The company is replacing furnace-oil-fired thermopacs with electrically powered individual mould heating across all factories, while optimising curing cycle times. This raises throughput from existing assets with minimal capital outlay, directly improving asset turns and energy cost.