Key speakers for the first edition included Dr S S Gupta, Senior Development Officer – DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Anshuman Singhania, Chairman, ATMA; Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM; Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM; Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, ATMA; V K Misra, Past Chairman, ITTAC and Technical Director, J K Tyre & Industries; Sudershan Gusain, Senior Deputy General Manager, Bridgestone India; B V Shamsundara, Deputy Director (SHL), ARAI; Ravin Kurian, Chairman, ITTAC and Senior General Manager, MRF; Deepak Sawkar, Senior Advisor, Maruti Suzuki  and Harjeet Singh, Chairman, SIAM Two Wheeler Group and Executive Adviser – Technical, Hero Motocorp.

“Road safety and tyre are very closely related. Under the tri-series jointly organised with ATMA, the first series focuses on tyre and road safety, second on technology and environmental issues, and third on standards, regulations and sustainability,” said Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM.

“Tyres are the most critical safety component for a vehicle and road safety and are one of the highly regulated automotive components,” said Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM.

In his inaugural address, Anshuman Singhania, Chairman, ATMA and MD, JK Tyre & Industries , said, “Tyre industry in India has all along understood the need for safety and has been constantly upgrading for promoting sustainable mobility. It has been our consistent effort to ensure that tyres are central to all discussion about road safety, behavioural fuel efficiency, rider handling etc. Tyres are unfortunately one of the most neglected parts of vehicle, but awareness is now growing. Road safety revolves around 3Es – education, engineering and enforcement – and I would urge the industry to organise more such programmes to educate the wider audience.”

The guest of honour, Dr S S Gupta, Senior Development Officer – DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, said, “This programme on awareness about tyre care and road safety is very timely and relevant. The issues related to the tyre industry are being taken care of continuously by the DPIIT under Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Various interventions have been initiated by the department, including the one on import policy which brought tyres from free import category to restricted category, giving a boost to the domestic industry. These initiatives will lead to Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat while promoting local manufacturing of tyres.”

According to Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, ATMA, tyre has been the most regulated yet neglected auto component, and data substantiates that tyre care is lacking globally. These awareness and education initiatives will herald a new era of raising awareness and imparting education on the aspect of tyre safety through this tri lecture series, especially in this digital world.”

Sudershan Gusain, Senior Deputy General Manager, Bridgestone India Pvt Ltd, said that 410 deaths per day happen due to road traffic accidents in India and many of these are attributed to neglected tyres. While he called for greater industry efforts to changing perception on tyre care through awareness, he encouraged all motorists to maintain their vehicle’s tyres by playing their PART – Pressure, Alignment, Rotation and Tread.

Ravin Kurian, Chairman, ITTAC and Senior General Manager, MRF Ltd, spoke about safety, durability and failure analysis of tyres. He pointed out that rash driving, low inflation and potholes are considered to be the major reasons for quick wearing out of tyres and highlighted that road hazards, inflation pressure, tyre section height and structure are important parameters for understanding quality of tyres.

The interactive session held amongst speakers focused on the pivotal role of tyres in road safety, being the only point of contact between the vehicle and the road. The tri-series will continue its endeavours and organise the two remaining sessions on the topics: ‘Technology and Environmental Challenges’ on 24th September 2021 and ‘Regulation and Sustainability’ in October 2021, which will deliberate upon various aspects of tyre manufacturing, raw material sourcing, recycling, environmental, regulatory framework and sustainability. (TT)

Apollo Tyres Ltd has secured a one-season shirt-sleeve sponsorship agreement with AS Monaco, one of French football's most successful clubs, to increase awareness for its premium Vredestein brand.

This partnership will leverage Ligue 1's ranking as the fifth most watched football league in the world to raise awareness of Vredestein's award-winning products among a large audience in France and abroad. On November 22, AS Monaco's home league game against Brest will have the new sleeve branding for the first time. The Vredestein brand will be heavily promoted at Stade Louis-II for the 2024–2025 season, including on player sleeves and LED screens around the field. Exclusive social media initiatives will further help make the brand prominent, reaching a large and interested audience.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “This partnership is an exciting opportunity to strengthen Vredestein’s presence in one of our key markets. AS Monaco’s rich history and commitment to excellence mirror our focus on performance and innovation. We look forward to building a successful relationship with the club and celebrating its achievements this season.”

Thibaut Chatelard, Marketing and Revenue Director, AS Monaco, said: “We are delighted to welcome Apollo Tyres and its Vredestein brand to the family of AS Monaco partners. This collaboration makes sense in view of the values we share, such as the constant pursuit of performance and excellence. There’s no doubt that this new support will be precious for the rest of our season, which promises to be thrilling.”

Nexen Tire, a leading global tyre manufacturer, has launched the Nexen N´Blue S tyre, adding to its range of summer tyres and providing drivers with advanced safety, energy efficiency and superior driving stability in wet and dry conditions.

Developed using highly dispersed silica and equipped with an optimised structural design, the Nexen N´Blue S tyre provides reduced road noise and improved driving stability. The tyre features an innovative tread compound, formulated with hydrophilic fillers and microstructure-controlled polymers, and provides lower rolling resistance and exceptional dry and wet grip. The tyre also excelled in test results by demonstrating an 11 percent improvement in wet braking distance compared to its predecessor.

Apart from providing excellent performance, the Nexen  N´Blue S also scores high on the sustainability index. The tyre provides an eco-friendly solution for environmentally conscious drivers by minimising fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The Nexen N´Blue S summer tyre is available in 58 sizes, which makes it compatible with different types of vehicles.

Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. is all set to expand its investment project in Binh Duong province of Vietnam, with the phase 3 of expansion commencing in early 2025. This was discussed at a recent meeting between Vo Van Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (PPC), and Kim Hyun Ho, General Director of Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd.

The meeting was held on 13 November at the Administrative Centre of Binh Duong province, as per an official statement. Apart from the company’s investment till date and the planned investment for phase 3, the two also discussed about the challenges and obstacles regarding procedures and processes to have more land funds to expand the manufacturing plant, along with taking measures to tackle the obstacles. Kim Hyun Ho also conveyed to the PPC Chairman that Kumho Tire Vietnam Co., Ltd. belongs to South Korea's Kumho Tire Group and is currently ranked 10th in the car tyre manufacturing industry.

The company had invested in a tyre manufacturing plant in My Phuoc 3 Industrial Park in 2007 with a total initial investment of USD 308 million, which was supplemented by another USD 300 million in 2021. This extended the factory scale to six hectares and increased the production capacity to 12.5 million tyres annually. With the expansion in early 2025, the company will raise its total investment to USD 908 million and increase the factory's production capacity to 17 million tyres annually. The expanded capacity is expected to be operational by early 2026.

Yokohama-ATG, a leading manufacturer of all-terrain and off-the-road tyres, has expanded its Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range of forklift tyres with the launch of white, non-marking tyres.

The Galaxy MFS 101 SDS range consists of puncture-proof SDS tyres with extended wear limits designed for high-intensity working shifts and long durability. These are premium, solid rubber tyres developed for tough demands, a long service life and high driving comfort. The addition of white, non-marking tyres is specifically aimed at clean working environments.

Marked by a 3-stage construction process, the forklift tyres feature reduced heat build-up, effective shock absorption and minimised vibrations. The pattern design guarantees a smooth ride and good steerability thanks to its continuous centre lug and circumferential grooves. Furthermore, the flat walls and wide flat profile offer excellent stability when using a forklift for vertical stacking. The tyres are also equipped with anti-slip steel beads for improved rim fitment

In a case study on a CAT 2.5-tonne forklift that was used for handling heavy pallets on asphalt, the Galaxy MFS 101 SDS outshone the competitors with impressive performance. The tyre delivered an approximate 900 working hours before replacement against competitors’ 500 working hours.