JK Tyre is preparing for the future mobility demand, banking on its R&D and testing capabilities. The pioneer of radial tyre technology to green tyres in India, JK Tyre is in the process of launching new technologies from puncture-proof tyres to UUHP ( Ultra Ultra High Performance) and electric vehicles tyres for passenger cars and connected mobility solutions.

“If you look at the evolution of tyre technologies in India, today radialisation in the passenger car tyre segment has reached over 90 percent, while it is in the 50–55 percent range in the commercial tyres segment. In the next three to five years, the radialisation of commercial tyres will reach 65 to 70 percent. We will also see a fast transition from tube tyres to tubeless tyres in the country soon. New technologies such as smart tyres and puncture-proof tyres will pick up gradually segment-wise in India, catering to niche demand initially. As and when OEMs require these new technologies, our products will be readily available,” said Dr Rabindra Mukhopadhyay, director, R&D, JK Tyre & Industries,.

JK Tyre acquired Pune-based Treel Mobility. Today, JK Tyre is India’s only tyre company that indigenously manufactures Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) based on TREEL sensor technology for OE and OE replacement markets. Its smart tyres provide live data on tyre temperature, tyre pressure, tyre positions, locations, distance travelled and expected tyre life through its algorithm, thus capturing the full health of the tyres.

The company is pushing its smart tyre solutions in the replacement market, especially for fleet companies. “It’s all about the value for money. If the customers think this product is value for money, they will pay for it,” said Dr Mukhopadhyay. The company’s smart tyres are available in PCR, 2-wheeler, LCV and truck categories.

The company is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of automotive tyres, tubes and flaps. Today, the company has 12 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities – three plants in Mysuru; three plants in Haridwar; one plant each in Banmore (MP), Kankroli (Rajasthan) and Chennai, and three plants in Mexico. These plants manufacture around 32 million tyres per annum.

JK Tyre’s products comprise truck & bus radial and bias, passenger car radials, two- and three-wheeler tyres, LCV & SCV bias and radial, off-highway tyres (OTR and Farm), as well as speciality tyres for military and defence, industrial and farm applications besides racing tyres.

Products in Pipeline

The company will soon introduce new products catering to the demand of new requirements, and one of them is a puncture-proof tyre for cars. The puncture-proof tyre has an inner coat of a special rubber compound developed by the company that seals and heals the tyre immediately. As per the company, its puncture-proof tyre can sustain up to 300 punctures. It also enhances durability and does not allow fuel efficiency to drop.

Bias tyres will also remain the focus of JK Tyre to maintain its leading position in the commercial tyres segment. According to Dr Mukhopadhyay, though India is aggressively moving towards the radialisation of commercial tyres, bias tyres will remain in demand for the next 15-20 years owing to the road conditions and the benefits it provides. “For short-haul and within-the-city transportation, bias tyres are still preferred. Globally, bias tyres still own around 10 percent market, and India is one of the leading exporters of bias tyres,” said Dr Mukhopadhyay.

Tyres for EVs are expected to have lower rolling resistance, much lower tyre noise and high torque resistance with durability. JK Tyre has also developed new pattern series for electric scooters. For the scooter tyres, the company has a compound which has a 12 percent reduction in hysterias, leading to higher fuel saving and lower heat-related failures. JK Tyre is currently working with MG Motor to offer EV tyres on the passenger car tyre side. “We also have plans to offer electric passenger and light truck tyres,” added Dr Mukhopadhyay. 

JK Tyre has also developed the second generation of EV tyres for passenger cars, which can up to 13 to 14 k per KVH.

Though niche, the high-performance bikes and car segment is gaining traction in India, and JK Tyre is also eyeing the same segment. For premium, high-end luxury cars, for domestic and export, JK Tyre has developed Levitas Ultra, an ultra-high-performance tyre. The Levitas Ultra offers the best in class ride and handling, braking, comfort and noise level. The company will also bring out ‘H’ rated tyres designed for high-speed motorcycles, which can reach 210 kmph, focusing on a lower aspect ratio. The company has tested and validated the Levitas Ultra tyre for India and Europe. The company claims the Levitas Ultra tyre’s performance is tuned at a level better than the global brands in overall handling, performance, control, wet grip and noise. “We are also working on non-pneumatic tyres, but it will take time to develop,” added Dr Mukhopadhay.

R&D and Testing Capabilities

R&D has always been  an integrated focus of JK Tyres to bring new technologies. A few decades ago, almost all tyre companies in India collaborated with foreign tyre companies to get technologies. To reduce dependency on international companies, JK Tyre established India’s first independent elastomer and tyre research institute, Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer & Tyre Research Institute (HASETRI), in 1991 at Kankroli, Rajasthan. Today, HASETRI is one of the leading research institutes in Asia in rubber and tyre technology. HASETRI works in material characterisation, product characterisation, simulation, environmental analysis, calibration, consultancy and training.

In 2018, JK Tyre inaugurated its Global Technology Centre RPSCoE in Mysuru, bringing together the best in class facilities under one roof. The RPSCoE houses HASETRI and The JK Tyre Tech Centre. The company is ramping up its R&D and testing capabilities to meet future requirements. This year, the company has allocated a budget of INR 1.1 billion to procure equipment for tyre analysis. JK Tyre has already ordered the Flat-Trac CT Plus system, made by MTS, which is engineered to deliver highly accurate and repeatable measurements of tyre force and moment properties under steady-state and dynamic conditions. The machine, which costs over INR 500 million, has capabilities of steady-state force and moment measurement, dynamic force and moment measurement, sinusoidal radial deflection tests, simulation testing and effective rolling radius measurement. Another highlight of the centre is semi-anechoic chamber for noise, harshness and vibration measurement. JK Tyre was also the first tyre company in India to invest in a first-of-its-kind semi-anechoic chamber.

JK Tyre also has a centre of excellence at IIT Madras, a joint venture between the company and IIT Madras. Over the years, the company has developed many predictive technologies and other solutions at the centre. The IIT Madras centre has a virtual proving ground to have the actual performance for the tyres on a vehicle without having real tyres or vehicles. Various data for the vehicles and a tyre is fed into the software, and you can put data of any test track and drive the car with different speeds. The virtual proving ground helps the company generate various data to determine what kind of tyres is best suited for a particular vehicle.

For enhancing its door testing capabilities, JK Tyre is also establishing its wet grip testing capability. The company has bought a skid trailer used for on-road tyre characterisations- force & moment, rolling resistance dry and wet grip. Currently, it is at NATRiP, Indore.

Recently, HASETRI received accreditation from the prestigious National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for outdoor regulatory testing as per ISO/IEC 17025:2017. With this, HASETRI has become the first Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) recognised by DSIR, Government of India and an independent tyre testing and research institute in India to receive such accreditation from NABL.

Under the scope for outdoor testing, the accreditation includes testing for wet grip and coast-by noise for C1 (passenger) and C2 (light truck) category tyres as per ECE R117 method. The indoor tyre testing facilities for regulatory requirement like rolling resistance, endurance, dynamic growth etc. have already been accredited by NABL as per ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

JK tyre is exploring many possibilities on the material development front, one of which is mixing solid and liquid materials. “We are exploring possibilities of mixing natural rubber at the level of latex form with other solid materials. With this mixing process, we can save lots of energy consumption,” said Dr Mukhopadhyay. The company is working with different raw materials suppliers, especially synthetic rubber suppliers like SBR, to convert petrol-based materials to non-petrol based materials.

Reuse, retread and recycle are also focus of the company.  Currently, the company is using three percent recycled rubber in its new products. In the future, it targets to have 10 percent recycled rubber in the new products in the next five years. “However, a greater challenge is to have virgin rubber properties in the recycled rubber,” added Dr Mukhopadhyay.

JK Tyre is also targetting to increase its retread tyre volume . As of now, it is retreading 300 tonnes of used tyres per day, aiming to take it to 500 tonnes per day. (TT)

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NEXEN TIRE reported third-quarter 2025 sales of 780.7 billion won and operating profit of 46.5 billion won, the company said on Thursday, as stronger demand in Europe and South Korea helped offset the impact of item-specific tariffs in the United States.

Sales in Europe were supported by an expansion of original equipment supply for newly launched vehicles and higher demand for winter products following tighter seasonal tyre regulations. In South Korea, the company posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue, aided by peak summer demand and continued growth in its tyre rental business.

Profit margins improved from the previous quarter, helped by lower raw material costs and reduced logistics expenses, with prices for natural and synthetic rubber and the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) remaining on a downward trend.

The company has been rolling out region-specific product strategies. In South Korea, it launched the N’FERA Supreme EV ROOT in August, designed for both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles. It also brought the WINGUARD SPORT 3 winter tyre to Europe and Japan, and strengthened its U.S. high-performance line-up with the N’FERA SPORT, already supplied as original equipment to premium European carmakers. In Australia, it added the ROADIAN ATX for larger sport utility vehicles.

NEXEN TIRE is also expanding its international footprint, with new sales bases recently opened in Spain and Poland, and additional hubs planned in Southeastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

The tyre maker said it is enhancing R&D efficiency through the adoption of a High Dynamic Driving Simulator, the first of its kind in South Korea's automotive sector, allowing reduced reliance on physical prototypes and road tests. The firm also received approval for its near-term emissions reduction targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in September.

“The solid performance in the third quarter, even after factoring in tariff-related costs, indicates that our strategy for managing external uncertainties is yielding positive results,” CEO John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim said. “We will continue to pursue sustainable growth through product portfolio diversification and the optimisation of global production operations.”

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MAXAM is set to showcase its advanced agricultural tyre solutions at Agritechnica 2025 in Hannover from 9 to 15 November. Visitors can find the company at Stand A04 in Hall 20, where the exhibition theme ‘More Pull. Less Fuel’ will guide the presentation. This philosophy underscores the company's dedication to developing tyres that enhance operational efficiency and contribute to more sustainable farming practices by reducing fuel consumption and soil compaction. The event provides a significant opportunity for MAXAM to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and the expansion of its product portfolio.

On display will be a range of DLG-awarded tyres, including robust models for high-horsepower tractors and versatile options for specialised implements, illustrating the company's technical breadth. Beyond presenting products, MAXAM considers the trade fair a vital meeting point for industry collaboration. It serves as a platform for direct engagement with farmers, partners and machine manufacturers, whose feedback provides invaluable, real-world insights that directly influence the future direction of product and service development, ensuring they remain precisely aligned with evolving market needs.

As a part of SAILUN Group, one of the 10 largest tyre manufacturers in the world, MAXAM leverages its extensive international presence and collaborative research initiatives to drive continuous innovation. The company is dedicated to advancing agricultural tyre technology, creating sophisticated solutions that directly address the evolving demands of modern farming. This focus encompasses critical areas such as enhanced sustainability, improved cost-efficiency and superior field performance.

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Radar Tires has expanded its US distribution network with the opening of two new domestic distribution centres in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, as part of efforts to strengthen product accessibility and service reliability for its growing customer base.

The expansion increases the brand’s domestic distribution centres from one to three. It aims to improve delivery efficiency and inventory availability across key regions, particularly in the Southeast and Northeast of the United States.

“Stocking domestic tyre inventory is a key part of the Radar strategy going forward,” said Rob Montasser, Vice President of Sales for Radar Tires, USA. “It ensures our distributors and retailers have easy access to the products that their customers need, without the long lead times or supply chain uncertainty. These new locations allow us to be faster, more flexible, and more dependable.”

The company said the additional facilities will reduce delivery times and ensure that its core product range remains readily available to meet rising market demand.

With existing operations in Texas, the addition of centres in Tennessee and Pennsylvania underscores Radar Tires’ long-term strategy to enhance supply chain responsiveness and reinforce its position as one of the most customer-focused distribution networks in the tyre industry.

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Cabot Corporation reported lower quarterly earnings, as weaker demand in its Reinforcement Materials segment and softer volumes in Performance Chemicals weighed on results. However, the company ended fiscal 2025 with solid cash flow and continued shareholder returns.

For the fourth quarter ended 30 September, Cabot posted net income of USD 43 million, or USD 0.79 per share, compared with USD 137 million, or USD 2.43 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Full-year diluted earnings per share were USD 6.02, while adjusted earnings per share rose 3 percent year-on-year to USD 7.25.

“I am very pleased with another strong year of Adjusted EPS growth where we achieved USD 7.25, up 3 percent year over year, in a year with a challenging macroeconomic backdrop,” said Sean Keohane, Cabot’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This performance was driven by higher EBIT in our Performance Chemicals segment, which increased 18 percent year over year, partially offset by EBIT in our Reinforcement Materials segment, which declined 5 percent.”

Cabot’s revenue for the quarter fell to USD 899 million from USD 1.0 billion a year earlier, while full-year sales declined to USD 3.7 billion from USD 4.0 billion.

The Boston-based speciality chemicals manufacturer said fourth-quarter cash flow from operations totalled USD 219 million, enabling USD 64 million in shareholder returns through dividends and share buybacks. For the full fiscal year, Cabot generated USD 665 million in operating cash flow, funding USD 274 million in capital investments, USD 96 million in dividend payments and USD 168 million in share repurchases.

Keohane said the company’s balance sheet remained strong, with a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.2 times, providing flexibility to invest in growth while continuing to return capital to shareholders.

The company’s Reinforcement Materials segment reported a USD 4 million decline in EBIT from the prior-year quarter, reflecting lower volumes in the Americas and Asia Pacific, partly offset by cost efficiencies. Global volumes fell 5 percent, including a 7 percent drop in the Americas, where lower tyre production by customers was attributed to increased Asian tyre imports.

Performance Chemicals EBIT decreased USD 2 million year-over-year, mainly due to a 5 percent drop in volumes led by weaker demand in Europe, particularly from construction-related applications.

Cabot ended the quarter with  percent 258 million in cash and spent percent 64 million on capital expenditures. The company recorded a 55 percent effective tax rate in the fourth quarter and an operating tax rate of 27 percent for fiscal 2025.

Looking ahead, Keohane cautioned that market conditions remain challenging, particularly in the Reinforcement Materials sector. “We do not yet see signs of improvement in the external environment, particularly as it relates to regional demand trends in Reinforcement Materials due to the impact of elevated Asian tire imports into western regions,” he said.

The company anticipates improvement in Performance Chemicals, led by growth in battery materials and infrastructure-related applications, while maintaining strong cash flow to support investment and shareholder returns.

“While market conditions remain challenging, we continue to execute on our foundation of commercial and operational excellence, and we remain focused on managing costs, strengthening operations, and positioning the company for long-term growth,” Keohane said.

In fiscal 2025, Cabot also announced an agreement to acquire Bridgestone Corporation’s reinforcing carbons plant in Mexico and released its 2024 Sustainability Report, noting it had achieved 11 of its 15 sustainability goals ahead of schedule and established new 2030 targets.

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