Mahle buys-out Indian JV
German car parts supplier Mahle Group acquired all of the shares in its former joint venture company Mahle IPL Limited. Mahle had already been a majority partner in the joint venture with a share of about 60 percent.
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Was a rival Cooper bid the elephant in Apollo’s room?
As late as 15 November, Cooper Tire & Rubber wrote in a statement that it “continues to seek the expeditious closing of the merger with Apollo Tyres.” Yet Sunam Sarkar, chief financial officer at Apollo Tyres, opines that Cooper’s fidelity as a partner was in question from the very start – a point that only came to light later on.
TPMS trends in emerging markets
The US mandated TPMS installation in new cars some time ago and we and we all know that the same will happen in Europe in November this year, but what about the emerging markets? Ask any market analyst and you will learn that China in particular is set to overtake the US and become the world’s largest economy in the next few years. Many sources suggest the People’s Republic is already there in terms of car production and – as a consequence – tyre manufacturing. So what about TPMS take-up and manufacturing infrastructure in this market in particular?
Apollo launches UK, India ad campaign
Apollo Tyres has commenced a new corporate advertising campaign in the UK and India that draws on the company’s three-year agreement with Manchester United F.C. for these two markets. The campaign covers television, cinema, print, digital and outdoor mediums and focuses on the shared values of both football club and tyre maker, specifically ‘going the distance to achieve the best’.
No deal – Cooper terminates Apollo merger agreement
The curtain has come down on a saga that made tyre industry headlines last year. On 30 December, Cooper Tire & Rubber announced its termination of the merger/acquisition agreement between it and India’s Apollo Tyres. The US tyre maker gave word of its action a day before the agreement was due to expire.
“It is time to move our business forward,” wrote Cooper chairman, chief executive officer and president Roy Armes in a statement. “While the strategic rationale for a business combination with Apollo is compelling, it is clear that the merger agreement both companies signed on June 12 will not be consummated by Apollo and we have been notified that financing for the transaction is no longer available. The right thing for Cooper now is to focus on continuing to build our business.”
Michelin opens two retreading plants in India
Although a date still hasn’t been set for the inauguration of its large new tyre factory in India’s Tamil Nadu state, on 18 December Michelin inaugurated two new certified Recamic retreading facilities in the state. The commercial vehicle tyre retreading facilities, located in the Chennai and Pudukottai regions, have been established in collaboration with TVS Tread, the retreading arm of TVS Group.
Ceat launches first H-rated motorcycle tyre
Indian action film Dhoom3 will be released later this week and is said to be one of the most expensive films ever to come out of Bollywood. The sequel features plenty of motorcycle action, including a chase scene set in Chicago. Seizing the marketing opportunities this presents, Ceat Ltd has acquired the license from Yash Raj Films to produce a branded tyre – the first H-rated motorcycle tyre from an Indian manufacturer.
Triangle opens Shanghai international sales and marketing centre
So while production capacity and scale can be impressive, what most Chinese-based tyre manufacturers have failed to do is establish themselves as makers of quality products that command quality prices around the world. With this in mind, the fact that Triangle appointed a new global marketing vice-president (a European ex-Goodyear man Jenner Powell) in the middle of 2013 suggests that the company is taking steps to elevate perceptions of its products and consistently communicate its strengths to the market.
India’s govt needs to study road accident causes, says Michelin manager
As part of the SIMCOMVEC – SAEINDIA International Mobility Conference & Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress that took place in Chennai, India between 4 and 7 December, the vice-president of norms and regulations at Michelin Tyres Pvt Ltd, Randall Clark, presented a paper titled “Improving Safety on Indian Roads, Technology & Policy changes required.” Clark also spoke to local media and called for India’s government to conduct accidentology studies.
GM, Fiat Chrysler honour Giti Tire as supplier
Giti Tire shares that in recent months it has received awards from two major OEM customers. At a ceremony held in China in late September, Chinese PCR and TBR plant Giti Tire (Fujian) Co Ltd was presented with a Fiat Chrysler 2012 APAC Perfect Quality Award, and the company’s first and largest Chinese operation, Giti Radial Tire (Anhui) Co Ltd, received a GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award.
Pirelli given ok for F1 tyre test
Pirelli and Formula One teams will be allowed to hold a tyre test using 2013 cars next week after the FIA gave its consent in the form of a regulation change. At a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group and the Formula One Commission in Paris on 9 December, the FIA agreed that instead of […]
Replacement segment increasingly important for JK Tyre
India’s automotive sector has slowed of late and this has impacted on the original equipment tyre business. One manufacturer says it is responding to this by investing more strongly in the replacement business.
GfK: Indian replacement tyre market 5.5 million units
GfK has been carrying out research on car tyres in India since January 2013 and says that, although demand for passenger cars in India has fallen somewhat short of expectations this year, the replacement passenger car tyre market is thriving with robust sales reported for car and SUV tyres in the last three quarters. Car owners in the top 43 cities in India bought more than 5.5 million tyres in first nine months of the year; with the third quarter sales volume having surged by a substantial 11 per cent over the previous quarter.
Indian market launch for Vredestein brand
Apollo Tyres has announced the introduction of the Vredestein brand in India. Four ranges from the Dutch tyre maker will initially be available there – the Ultrac Sessanta, Ultrac SUV Sessanta, Ultrac Cento and Sportrac. These will be sold in a range of sizes for 15 to 20-inch rim diameters. The Vredestein range sold in India will complement the existing Apollo passenger car range, Apollo Tyres states.
Apollo Tyres appoints London-based global media agency
Mindshare has been appointed Apollo Tyres’ global media agency, replacing ZenithOptimedia, who serviced Apollo in India since mid-2012. The tyre maker describes its business with Mindshare as a “multi-million dollar” account and says it appointed the company following a multi-agency pitch presentation at the Apollo Tyres global marketing office in London. Apollo says Mindshare was selected due to its global reach, along with its financial and organisational fit with Apollo Tyres.
