Mumbai-based start-up looks to make tyres green and clean, all the while enhancing farmers’ income by converting waste cotton byproducts to biodegradable products for the rubber industry.

In a world steadily transitioning towards sustainable and environmentally conscious solutions, Indian startup Biopole is poised to revolutionise the tyre, rubber and broader automotive materials space with a breakthrough innovation that merges agritech, cleantech and chemical engineering. The company has introduced Biozone 200, a high-performance bio-based antiozonant that prevents rubber products from cracking due to ozone exposure. It is generally used in the rubber and tyre industry. On the other hand, Biovive 300 is a bio-based antioxidant that protects rubber and polymer products from oxidative degradation used in the rubber and tyre industry.

In contrast to traditionally sourced materials from petrochemical derivatives, these additives are made using sustainably sourced materials that play a crucial role in improving the durability and life of rubber products, including tyres, hoses, belts, seals, plastic and even footwear soles. The company’s new offering is derived from agricultural waste – specifically, cotton stalks.

FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE TO HIGH-VALUE ADDITIVE

In an interaction with Tyre Trends, Mehul Patel, Technical Director, Biopole, explained the development story: “What is Biopole? We provide bio-based antioxidants and antiozonants made from plants, more specifically cotton stalks, which are agricultural waste in India. After cotton is plucked, the stem or stalk is left behind, often burnt like stubble in North India. Instead of that, we extract useful chemicals from it to manufacture our solutions.”

Interestingly, while the young start-up was started just a couple of months ago, it has already established its first manufacturing unit in Dudhapur, about 120 km north of Ahmedabad, in the heart of Gujarat’s cotton belt. It currently has an annual production capacity of 4,500 metric tonnes, with Biopole sourcing raw material from nearly 1,000 farmers across a 24-square-kilometre region.

“For these farmers, it’s waste, but for us, it’s the beginning of a high-value, eco-friendly product. And we pay them for it, so it’s a win-win,” he shared.

The company has invested INR 200-250 million over the past eight years to perfect the material and bring it to commercial scale. “More than money, it’s the time that was crucial. It took us eight years to reach a stage where we could modify the compound to be usable as a technical replacement for existing antioxidants and antiozonants,” averred Patel.

Antioxidants and antiozonants are indispensable for the rubber industry. They delay degradation caused by oxidation and ozone exposure, improving product longevity. However, their petrochemical origins are increasingly problematic in a market where regulatory and environmental considerations are paramount.

“Our product is REACH-compliant (European Union’s regulations for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), ROHS-certified (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and California Proposition 65 compliant. This is especially critical for Indian manufacturers looking to export to Europe and the US, where chemicals like 6PPD and TDQ (Trimethyl Dihydroquinoline), which are still widely used in India, are banned,” explained Patel.

Interestingly, giving an example of how Biopole is already acting as a gamechanger in the rubber industry, Patel shared that its product has already enabled one Kanpur-based footwear manufacturer to regain access to export markets after switching to Biopole’s solution.

“They were unable to export because of regulatory issues tied to traditional chemicals. After switching to our material and clearing lab tests, they are back in business and expanding their footprint to global markets,” Patel noted.

COST-EFFECTIVE SUSTAINABILITY

It is no secret that while that the topic of sustainability has been actively pursued, for any businesses to simply switch sourcing from traditional suppliers to alternative eco-friendly materials also needs to make economic sense.

This is exactly one of the USP propositions for Biopole’s antioxidants and antiozonants solution.

Cost, often a barrier to adoption in India, has been neutralised by Biopole’s approach. “While European companies are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, Indian customers ask about price first. But our product is priced competitively. The usage level is very small, and even if our additive is slightly more expensive than traditional options, the overall impact on the rubber compound is just about INR 0.10 per kg,” said Patel.

Giving the instance of carbon black, Patel stated, “Take carbon black, for example. Its prices fluctuate between INR 95 and INR 120 per kg, which impacts the compound price by INR 0.25 to 0.40 per kilo. In our case, the delta is much smaller and we offer a sustainability advantage.”

TYRE INDUSTRY

Given that India’s tyre industry is a high-volume, slow-approval segment, Biopole has made a strategic decision to first focus on non-tyre rubber product manufacturers.

“Tyre companies typically take three to five years to approve a new additive. They also require volumes of around 150 tonnes per month. That would overwhelm our current capacity. So we are currently targeting non-tyre applications, where monthly usage is around 1-2 tonnes per customer. This allows us to onboard multiple customers and scale gradually,” he said.

But Biopole is not actually ignoring the tyre segment. “We have already initiated pilot testing with some tyre manufacturers. If even two tyre companies approve our material, our entire capacity could be absorbed. That is why we are also preparing for future expansions,” he revealed.

Expansion is very much on the horizon. Patel estimates that scaling up to 9,000 tonnes can be done within six to eight months. “Once the market demands it, we are ready to expand our capacity at the Ahmedabad plant. The process is now streamlined,” he says.

EYEING GLOBAL MARKETS

While Gujarat was the logical choice for its facility due to its raw material ecosystem, Biopole is also exploring international expansion. “We met potential partners in the US and Ivory Coast at the American Chemical Society conference. They were extremely excited. In fact, one gentleman said, ‘Come to Ivory Coast, we’ll provide you land and cotton stalks’,” he shared.

Responding to a query if the company is open to partnerships and contract manufacturing with local stakeholders investing in infrastructure and sourcing. Patel shared that for Biopole nothing is off the tables: “We’re open to partnerships as long as it makes commercial sense.”

R&D

For Elastochemie, which has been traditionally a trading company, the journey for Biopole has been supported by a seven-member in-house R&D team, backed by collaborations with research institutions and external labs.

In addition to its current offerings, Patel revealed that Biopole “has already started working on two new products for the rubber industry, including retarders. We expect these to launch by FY2026.”

The company is also experimenting with product variations that would allow its additive to be used in coloured rubber and plastics. “Our material is naturally brown, which limits use in applications requiring bright or white colours. We are modifying it to work with those too,” he shared.

Though formally incorporated just five months ago in 2025, Biopole has global ambition and market-ready credibility. “Biopole will have its own balance sheet, and yes, it will be profitable as a standalone entity,” shared Patel.

While Elastochemie remains a trading business, Biopole’s manufacturing arm marks a strategic leap. “Trading companies don’t usually do R&D. But we wanted to build something different. Something IP-led, something that creates real change,” he stated.

As a first-of-its-kind material globally, Biopole is claimed to have no direct competition at present. He gives the anecdote of being a zero-emission vehicle in a petrol and diesel market.

“We’re not worried about competition yet, because there’s no one else doing exactly this. Our product changes the game. And for our customers, it ticks multiple boxes – regulatory, sustainability and now, affordability too,” he shared.

GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION & FUTURE PLANS

Responding to a query on whether the company could be impacted due to the global geopolitical situation and trade disruptions, he shared that India is estimated as a whole consumes over two million tonnes of rubber annually, with tyre makers accounting for 57 percent of demand. The remaining 43 percent, or 850,000 tonnes, is used in non-tyre applications. “Even if we capture three percent of that, we are talking significant volumes,” Patel shared.

He also noted that Biopole is relatively insulated from global geopolitical shocks. “We are too small to be impacted by the global supply chain disruptions. Even if we don’t export, the Indian market alone is more than enough for our immediate growth trajectory,” he said.

That said, global expansion remains attractive for the premium it offers. “US and European companies approve faster and are willing to pay more for sustainability,” Patel added.

It is quite evident that Biopole’s under the wrap development of the bio-based antiozonant and antioxidant products over the last eight years has a strategic plan to support its future narrative.

Patel shared that in the near-to-mid-term the company aims to establish its product firmly in India, US and Europe market. The company will launch at least two new rubber additives including Bioguard 400, a bio-based scorch retarded that controls vulcanisation and prevents premature curing for the rubber and tyre industry. It will also develop versions of the additive suitable for coloured plastics and rubber applications. And finally, Biopole will further scale manufacturing capacity based on traction from tyre manufacturers.

In an industry often dominated by legacy chemicals and slow-moving incumbents, Biopole’s innovative approach may well be a tipping point.

“We are not just offering a product,” concluded Patel. “We are offering a shift in thinking. A biodegradable, sustainable, regulatory-compliant material that solves real industry pain points. That’s the future – and we’re building it from waste.”

Midas, Asia’s largest manufacturer of tyre retreading materials, has launched O-rings designed for off-the-road (OTR) tyres, aimed at delivering reliable sealing performance in demanding operating conditions.

The O-rings are manufactured using high-quality natural rubber and are formulated to improve physical properties and ensure dimensional stability. According to the company, the product has been tested over many years in harsh environments and is intended to provide consistent, trouble-free performance in OTR tyre applications.

Midas said only REACH-compliant raw materials are used in the manufacture of the O-rings, underscoring its adherence to safety, quality and international regulatory standards.

Founded 56 years ago, Midas supplies tyre retreading materials to customers in more than 60 countries. The company said the launch reflects its continued focus on developing performance-oriented solutions for the global tyre and retreading industry.

Toyoda Gosei has successfully commercialised automotive weatherstrips using recycled rubber, starting with the new Toyota RAV4. This marks a significant breakthrough in a field where rubber has historically been difficult to reuse, often ending up incinerated instead of truly recycled. Unlike steel or plastic, rubber recycling requires devulcanisation, a complex process that traditionally weakens the material and leaves behind unpleasant odours.

Through dedicated refinement of its proprietary devulcanisation technology, the company has overcome these longstanding quality hurdles. The advancements have dramatically increased the usable proportion of recycled material in automotive parts from under five percent to 20 percent, an achievement honoured by a Toyota Motor Project Award.

Looking ahead, Toyoda Gosei aims to extend this technology beyond synthetic rubber to include natural rubber, which is used in far greater volumes. The broader corporate ambition is to collaborate with automakers and partners to establish a full circular system. This system would collect and regenerate rubber from end-of-life vehicles, positioning the company as an industry leader in enabling both decarbonisation and sustainable resource circulation.

Pursuing its strategic goals for 2030, Michelin is actively extending its technological leadership into adjacent, high-value sectors. This expansion is being accelerated through two key acquisitions announced in recent months: Cooley Group and Tex Tech Industries. Both US-based companies are leaders in advanced materials, specialising in high-performance fabrics and coatings, and align strongly with Michelin’s own focus on innovation and quality while bringing complementary geographic and technical strengths.

Cooley Group, marking its centennial in 2026, excels in creating engineered polymer-coated fabrics. Its fully integrated production enables custom solutions for critical applications in healthcare, industrial containment and waterproofing. Similarly, Tex Tech Industries, with over a century of operation, designs and manufactures specialised textiles for extreme demands, including thermal protection systems for aerospace, fire-blocking aircraft interiors and advanced composite materials.

These strategic moves significantly bolster Michelin’s existing position in coated fabrics, notably through its European brand Orca. By integrating Cooley and Tex Tech, Michelin anticipates accelerating its global market reach and increasing the revenue of its Polymer Composite Solutions division by approximately 20 percent, equating to roughly USD 280 million. Given the growing scale of this business, Michelin intends to establish it as a dedicated reporting segment starting in 2026.

The acquisitions, slated for completion in the first half of 2026 pending regulatory approvals, will be transacted in cash, with financial terms currently undisclosed.

Birla Carbon, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality carbon materials, has been awarded the prestigious Platinum sustainability rating by EcoVadis, ranking it within the top one percent of all assessed companies globally. This honour recognises the firm’s enterprise-wide leadership in integrating sustainability across its operations, innovation and value chain.

The evaluation specifically commended its strong performance across four key areas: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. This achievement is further validated by extensive third-party certifications, with over 75 percent of operations certified to international standards including ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 45001, SA8000 and ISO 27001, underscoring the consistency and strength of its sustainability management systems.

John Loudermilk, President and CEO, Birla Carbon, said, “This Platinum rating reflects the steady progress we are making in embedding sustainability at the core of our business. Our growth strategy is geared towards delivering sustainability through innovation, operational excellence and responsible practices across our global footprint. We continually invest in sustainability and circularity-driven processes, keeping our operations sustainably efficient while creating long-term value for our customers, partners, communities and employees. Our sustainability strategy, Share the Future, serves as a roadmap to a sustainable future and guides our actions towards our aspiration of reaching net zero carbon emissions over the next 25 years. Being recognised among the top one percent of companies globally is a testament to the commitment of our teams worldwide.”