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BKT Announces Further Significant Investment

When 95 per cent of a company’s sales are achieved in export markets, it would be well advised to ensure its presence at international exhibitions. This is the view held by Balkrishna – also known as BKT – the central business unit of India’s Siyaram Poddar Group. The last two years in particular have been a time in which the agricultural, earthmover, industrial, ATV and small tyre manufacturer has been able to distinctly expand its market share in Asia. As executive director Anurag Poddar explained during an interview with Tyres & Accessories, the company intends through its own marketing plant to further increase sales in the region. During the Tyrexpo Asia exhibition in Singapore the company displayed the first steel belt radials for earthmoving equipment to be produced in an Indian factory, and this landmark product can be used to symbolise the company’s sizeable ambitions for the Asian markets.

9th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon Tyres supports Formula Student teams

Avon Tyres Motorsport is supporting Formula Student competitions around the world by offering a preferential rate on its Formula Student-specific tyres to any colleges and universities who take part in the events. Run in the UK by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and known internationally as Formula SAE, the Formula Student concept pits educational institutions from around the world against each other in order to promote excellence in engineering.

Teams from as far afield as India, Russia and Canada will join establishments from across Europe at Silverstone in July, with over 100 universities hoping to take part in Formula Student 2009. All will have to design and build a small single-seater racing car to perform well in several areas including sprinting, acceleration, skid pan, endurance and economy tests, as well as being judged on the car’s design, cost and presentation.

3rd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MWS Introduces Xlite CV Wheel Range

New from MWS Distribution, supplier of international brands such as Kronprinz, Gianetti, Magnetto Topy and Wheels India, is the Xlite range of forged aluminium commercial vehicle wheels. The line-up is available through the company’s MWS Wheel Systems and MWS Aftermarket divisions to both OE and replacement market customers.

Xlite wheels, currently available in 17.5, 19.5 and 22.5-inch sizes, are forged from a single aluminium billet, using computerised numeric control to produce a truer running wheel that delivers reduced vibration, aiding longer wear on surrounding components. The products are available with either a machined or a polished finish, and are available with ‘xbrite’, a surface coating that MWS says helps the wheel maintain its shine while minimising the need for cleaning.

25th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

A Global Concern

The increasing globalisation of the automotive industry is an indisputable fact. Today’s leading companies, such as Toyota, General Motors, Renault/Nissan, Volkswagen and a handful of others, view expansion into as-yet untapped markets as a means of ensuring the profitable growth that established – and increasingly saturated – markets cannot deliver. A replacement for the masses of two and three wheeled vehicles still serving as family transport in various parts of the world is a well recognised need, and in several emerging markets the race is on to introduce “people’s car” that offers the right blend of modernity, efficiency and price. Exactly who will be first to produce such a widely-accepted car remains to be seen: It may be one of the smaller international manufacturers that seizes the inititave, or perhaps an emerging market company such as India’s Tata or China’s Chery. What is more certain, however, is that the the companies best placed to grow in the future are those that locate their centres of production in the markets where growth is taking place – and this is every bit as true for wheels as it is for the vehicles they are fitted to.

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Wheels India and MRF Supply Nano Wheels and Tyres to Tata

Wheels India, part of the TVS group companies, and leading Indian tyre maker, MRF, are supplying the original equipment wheels and tyres for Tata Motors’ pint-sized ultra-mini the Nano. Wheels India managing director, Srivats Ram, told Hindu Business Line: “The wheel that was developed is lighter than any other passenger car wheel in the country and the first wheel to my knowledge in passenger car wheels to have three bolt-holes instead of the conventional four.”

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Board Approves Share Buyback Proposal

The Apollo Tyres Board of Directors has given its approval for a buyback of equity shares, as allowed by India’s Companies Act. The March 19 decision paves the way for a buyback programme of up to Rs 1.222 billion (£16.48), around 10 per cent of the company’s paid up capital and free reserves as of March 31, 2008. The buyback will be for a minimum of 67,00,000 equity shares, and the maximum buyback price is Rs 25 per share, on a face value of Rs 1.

23rd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin India Launches Primacy LC

With a view to increase its market share in the high-performance tyre segment, Michelin today launched its new product for the Indian market. “With the launch of ‘Primacy LC’ tyre, we are hopeful of increasing our market share in high-performance tyre segment significantly,” Michelin India CEO Jean Paul Caylar said in a statement. The new tyre is set to become the company’s next ‘best seller’ in Asia Pacific, he said, replacing its previous generation Energy MXV8 tyre.

The new product is aimed at cars such as Skoda Octavia, Skoda Superb, Skoda Laura, Toyota Innova, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Maruti SX4 Zxi.

19th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Presents New Corporate Identification

Following three decades of its existing logo, Apollo Tyres of India is freshening up its image with a new corporate image. With a new font and black, purple, grey or orange colouring, the change is striking indeed, especially when the colours combine on the company’s circle-themed backgrounds.

“The new look brings in the vibrancy of colors and shapes, and an overall look and feel of energy to a fast growing company with global ambitions,” the company states. “The change was a felt need, given Apollo’s recent growth and expansion into new markets and products. In a sense, this change captures the evolution of Apollo Tyres from being a predominantly commercial vehicle tyre maker to a leader across diverse customer segments.”

The new logo features the company name in lower case lettering, accompanied by series of colored discs, which Apollo said makes “a strong association with tyres and mobility. The discs, in fact, represent the various kinds of tires Apollo makes. The slim to thick outlines portray passenger to industrial tyres.”

13th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop India Plant to Restart Production in 2-3 Months

According to information given my Dunlop India chairman P K Ruia on March 6, the company’s Shahgunj factory will begin production in the next two to three months, and in stages all employees will return to work. “I want to reassure everybody that the plant will begin production and each of the employees would be absorbed in phases,” said Ruia.

9th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Lockout at Apollo Outsourced Factory Resolved

Late in the evening of March 4, union and management representatives met in an attempt to parry a continuation of the deadlock over negotiations at PTL Enterprises’ Kalamassery, India tyre manufacturing unit, a plant outsourced to Apollo Tyres. According to Apollo, the meeting resulted in an agreement that the unit would re-enter production on March 6.

As agreed in the previous meeting, held on February 24, the unions remain committed to sorting out 10 of 12 issues at hand within a month of reopening the plant. The two pending issues, those of moving out the mixing process and machinery and increasing the capacity from the current 86 to 98 tonnes per day, have not yet been fully resolved.

5th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop India Shahgunj Facility Re-Opening

Dunlop India’s factory in Shahgunj will re-open on March 6 after sitting idle for three months. On March 3 the company released a statement saying the plant’s maintenance and engineering division would be the first back on the job, with 229 workers undertaking the task of repairing the factory and making it production ready.

The suspension of operations at the plant was announced on November 30, 2008, and company management says it now hopes to resolve all outstanding issues with labour unions one the repair work is under way. Dunlop India has also indicated that assurances have been received from banks regarding the disbursement of working capital as required for the plant’s sustained operation.

4th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Indian Tyre Exports Decrease 12% Between April & December

A marked decline in vehicle sales worldwide together with tighter import restrictions in some countries is being blamed for a 12 per cent decrease in tyre exports from India in the last three quarters. According to India’s Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), Indian tyre companies exported 2.346 million tyres between April and December 2008, compared with 2.668 million during the same period of 2007. This drop in exports occurred despite a devaluation of the rupee against the US dollar and numerous other major currencies.

3rd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Tyres Enters Sri Lankan Market

Exports of Apollo Tyres’ products to Sri Lanka have begun following the beginning of a working partnership with local Mitsubishi distributor United Motors. According to the head of International Marketing at Apollo, Rajesh Kumar, the company hopes to export six containers of truck, bus and passenger car tyres to Sri Lanka every month.

2nd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Birla Tyres Resumes Production at Orissa Plant

Following a two week pause, production at Birla Tyres’ factory in India’s Orissa state resumed on March 2. The plant closure, deemed necessary due to a drop in demand, was the third to take place since December, and may not be the last.

“We resumed full production today (Monday) even though the market condition has not yet improved,” a plant official – who wished to remain anonymous – told the Indo-Asian News Service. “We will review the situation after 10 days. If the market conditions do not improve, we may consider another shutdown.”

2nd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Lockout Continues at Apollo Outsourced Factory Despite Talks

A fresh round of talks over the ongoing lockout at the Apollo Tyres outsourced PTL Enterprise factory in Kalamassery India was held on February 24, yet the deadlock between company management and union representatives continues. Apollo reports that a resolution has been reached for ten out of the twelve issues at hand, however the two opposing parties cannot – or will not – see eye to eye on the remaining two.

25th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors