WHEN HENRY TIMKEN patented the tapered roller bearing in 1899 and moved his company to Canton in the U.S., he had no clue that the products of his firm would accelerate the first flight of the Wright Brothers and, more recently, the James Webb Space Telescope. Timken has also moved a step further to play a pivotal role in the emerging automation and sustainability segments.

Timken India Ltd (TIL) was incorporated in 1987 as Tata Timken Ltd (TTL) — a joint venture between Tata Iron and Steel Company (Tisco) and The Timken Company. It commenced commercial production at its Jamshedpur plant in March 1992. In 1999, Timken acquired Tata Steel’s 40% stake and changed the name to TIL. The company has sales offices in Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Jamshedpur, and Chennai.

TIL posted a net profit of ₹392.1 crore in FY24, against ₹390.7 crore in FY23. Net income stood at ₹2,910 crore, a 3.7% increase year-on-year. The company operates in engineered bearings, industrial motions, and related services businesses.

“The last one year has been a period of both reflection and recalibration. While India continues to be a high-potential growth market, we faced challenges rooted in the cyclicality of Indian business dynamics. Demand fluctuations in core industrial sectors, coupled with timing shifts in project execution, required us to stay agile and rethink our operational priorities... On a global scale, we saw the effects of a softening economy, particularly in developed markets,” says Sanjay Koul, CMD, TIL.

“Our approach was centered on proactive customer engagement, and leveraging data and insights to support their evolving needs. With deep knowledge and expertise in engineering innovations, material sciences, wide product range, diversified segmentation and a robust supply chain, Timken is well placed to face and overcome any challenges,” he adds.

This has helped TIL claim the 14th spot in Fortune India’s 100 Emerging Stars list.

TIL is growing its manufacturing footprint with a greenfield facility in Bharuch, Gujarat, at an investment of ₹600 crore, for spherical roller bearings and cylindrical roller bearings. “This facility will not only help serve our customers in India, but will also position us as an export hub...,” Koul said earlier in the company’s FY24 annual report.

The bearings maker reported a 10.1% YoY increase in net profit to ₹74.3 crore for Q3FY25, vis-à-vis ₹67.5 crore a year ago. Revenue from operations grew 9.7% YoY to ₹671.4 crore.

“Our strategy for the next three years is grounded in a focussed, ambitious, and forward-looking approach. In the short term, we are expanding our presence across industrial markets, scaling up manufacturing capabilities in India, and introducing innovative powertrain solutions that align with emerging customer needs. These initiatives are designed to help us outpace market growth by 50%, with a clear goal of evolving Timken India into a $1 billion enterprise,” says Koul.

Exports constituted 23% of the overall production, around ₹152 crore, in Q3 FY25, against 20% (₹124 crore) in the previous quarter. “Europe is struggling. In America, there has been a change in the leadership, and they might be looking to get their whole economy act in shape,” Koul had said in the FY24 annual report.

Headwinds notwithstanding, Timken India is poised for higher growth days ahead.