Michelin in JV with Apollo

Apollo Tyres has joined with Michelin in a joint venture company called Michelin Apollo Tyre to manufacture, market and sell truck and bus radial tyres. “We are scouting for an appropriate location in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The commercial operations will begin by September 2005,” said Onkar S.

Kanwar, Chairman, Apollo Tyres Ltd. Michelin will have 51 per cent shareholding and Apollo 49 per cent in the new Michelin Apollo Tyre Ltd. The Apollo board of Directors has also approved Michelin’s purchase of 14.

9 per cent of equity share capital by means of a preferential allotment from Apollo Tyre Ltd for about 28 million US dollars. The joint venture comes in the wake of ongoing road improvements and highway building projects being currently undertaken in India. While the Radialisation level in the passenger car segment is around 75 per cent, in bus and truck, it’s less than 2 per cent.

“We plan to increase this to 5 per cent in next three years,” added Kanwar. Edouard Michelin, President Michelin said, ” We want to become Indian in India, French in France and Chinese in China and we believe that we have just the right tyres to match the Indian conditions.”.