Apollo’s Chennai plant wins quality systems award

Apollo Tyres’ Chennai facility in southern India has won the Platinum prize in the large size category of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) Quality Systems Awards for Manufacturing 2012. This highest-level award was presented to Apollo Tyres by Saurabh Chandra, secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India.

Satish Agarwal, chief, Corporate Manufacturing, Apollo Tyres Ltd, who received the award, along with John Devadason, unit head of Apollo’s Chennai plant, said: “While planning this manufacturing facility, we have ‘questioned’ existing practices, studied benchmarked systems within Apollo and outside with a desire to create an iconic manufacturing facility. Recognition like FICCI Quality Systems Award strengthens our resolve towards further improving our quality systems across manufacturing locations.” 

The FICCI Quality System Awards were introduced to recognise the robustness of quality systems in organisations. Companies are honoured for displaying high performance quality systems that lead to a systematic improvement in performance. The Quality Council of India is the knowledge partner for these awards. 

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Bhatia, jury member and chairman, FICCI Manufacturing Committee, said, “Apollo Tyres’ Chennai plant is a state-of-the-art facility, with very high standards and consistent quality systems. We would be keen to share the best practices of Apollo Tyres with other applicants and also with the industry at large, which would act as a catalyst to encourage other manufacturers to adopt robust quality systems and thereby face competition in the global market.” 

Apollo Tyres’ Chennai facility is located on a more than 128 acre site and was built with an investment of over Rs 21 billion (£252 million). This all radial plant has the capacity to produce 16,000 passenger car tyres and 6,000 truck-bus tyres per day.