India
On Tuesday, the Marangoni Group and Indian reclaimed rubber manufacturer GRP Ltd. entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the sale of Marangoni’s equity shareholding in Marangoni GRP Pvt Ltd, a 50/50 joint venture established in 2015 to bring the Marangoni Ringtread system of retreading to India.
Despite delays during the pandemic, the joint venture plant set up in India by Yogesh Agencies & Investments Private Limited (YAIPL) and Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) is now gearing up for deliveries of Mitas two-wheeler tyres. Paolo Pompei, president of TWS, recently confirmed that production will soon start.
JK Tyre CFO Sanjeev Aggarwal is making margin improvement in the face of inflationary pressures a top priority, according to a recent interview with India’s Economic Times newspaper. And therefore the company will pass on raw material price increases to its customers.
Off-highway tyre specialist BKT has set up a new facility near its existing Waluj plant in India’s Maharashtra state. The original intention was to decommission the older factory once the new one was operational, but BKT reports that due to “extremely robust” demand, it has decided to continue operations at the old Waluj plant.
Early in 2019, Apollo Tyres announced it would introduce motorcycle tyres into Europe under the Vredestein brand name, promising performance that competed with its rival’s first line products at prices competing with their second or even third line ranges. The first three models – the Vredestein Centauro ST radial for sport touring bikes, Centauro Road sports radial, and Staccata scooter range – debuted at the EICMA show in Italy later that year.
Tyre maker Ceat Limited, the flagship subsidiary of India’s RPG Group, reports that its net revenue increased 23.9 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of its financial year, the three months to 30 September 2021, to Rs 24.52 billion (£237.51 million). Despite growing revenues, EBITDA shrank from Rs 3.06 billion to 2.25 billion (£21.79 million), and the margin contracted 6.3 percentage points to 9.2 per cent. Net profit stood at Rs 420 million (£4.07 million).
Apollo Tyres has gained a further original equipment approval in its domestic market. Upmarket versions of the new Tata Punch compact SUV will wear the Apollo Alnac 4G in size 195/60 R16, while mid- and lower-range models will roll of the production line on 185/70 R15 tyres.
In a move intended to further strengthen its product offering at home, Apollo Tyres Ltd. has launched its 2009-aquired Vredestein marque in India. Products sold in India bearing this long-established European brand name will be manufactured locally, and Apollo Tyres is initially offering a line-up of car and SUV tyres that will “cater to the premium and luxury segment” as well as motorcycle tyres for the “growing superbiking segment in India.”
Although radial tyres are increasing their share of India’s light commercial vehicle sector, Apollo Tyres points out that around 165,000 cross-ply/bias light commercial tyres are sold throughout India every month. The tyre maker states it is “looking to get a share of this market” and has thus introduced a new cross-ply range, Apollo Bhim. It is offering two SKUs and says these will cater to nearly 80 per cent of the market in this segment.
Balkrishna Industries Ltd., manufacturer of the BKT tyre brand, reports that it recently commenced trial production at the greenfield project on the ‘F-20’ plot, a nine-hectare site near its current Waluj, Maharashtra plant. The facility has an installed capacity of 30,000 tonnes as well as warehousing for raw materials and finished goods. The tyre maker adds that the planned “small cogeneration plant” hasn’t been installed at this point in time.
Narain Karthikeyan, who in 2005 became India’s first-ever Formula 1 driver, has signed on as a JK Tyre brand ambassador. Commenting on the arrangement, Raghupati Singhania said the tyre maker was “delighted” to have Karthikeyan represent the JK Tyre brand in India.
With an additional investment of US$171 million, Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. intends to more than double the production capacity for off-highway tyres at its Visakhapatnam plant in India. The new plant is scheduled to begin operations in the first quarter of 2023 with a planned daily production capacity of 55 tonnes; this extra investment will lift daily capacity to 123 tonnes during a second project stage, which is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2024.
JK Tyre