Bridgestone India announced the winners of the second edition of the Mobility Social Impact Awards on Monday. These awards identify, recognise and promote mobility innovations through advanced technologies and solutions in the field of social advancement.

The awards have three focus areas – Accessible, Safe and Smart mobility solutions, claims Bridgestone India. The first is innovative ideas that provide better accessibility to healthcare and nutrition, livelihoods, education and social inclusion is one area. The second is to assess safe mobility solutions that enhance safety and inclusion, bridging the present gender gap, disaster mitigation and increase road safety, states Bridgestone India. And the third is smart mobility solutions that yield a positive social impact, eliminating poverty, promoting biodiversity conservation and developing our rural communities.

The winners took home a total price money of INR three million in the three categories.

Sharing his views, Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India, said, “Bridgestone aims to positively impact the way people live, move, work and play. Mobility plays a key role in a nation’s development and thereby, has a significant impact on society. With these awards, we aim to recognise those who employ sustainable mobility solutions in the service of communities, thereby improving the quality of life. Being a global leader in mobility solutions, we understand what it takes to create innovative solutions and simultaneously aid to the needs of diverse communities. The winners of Bridgestone Mobility Social Impact Awards are a testament to this and we are honoured to recognise such innovators.”

The winners
As per Bridgestone India, Mentors Foundation, Tasgaon, Maharashtra was the winner for the “Two Wheels of Hope - Bicycle Bank project”, This project has been developed to solve distance and mobility challenges faced by girl students in rural areas to reach schools. Also, the project solved the problem of access to healthcare services in parallel. The tyre company states that an Accredited Social Healthcare Activist (ASHA) worker is allocated for every 1,000 families, and access to these families was only done by walking the distance. With Two Wheels of Hope, they are now able to reach out to the families well in time, as per Bridgestone India.

Bridgestone India further claims that the first runner up was Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), Hazaribagh, Jharkhand for its initiatives on restoring eyesight, free of cost, for rural, underprivileged citizens, with avoidable blindness – thus, restoring their mobility, social life and livelihood.

The second runner up was the Centre for Rural Development, Guwahati, Assam, for its project “Rickshaw Bank”. According to Bridgestone India, this project provides a means of self-employment to rickshaw pullers by offering a “rent-to-own” financing option to purchase an innovative, newly-designed rickshaw, DIP-BAHAN (originally designed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati). DIP-BAHAN is lighter in weight, has an improved centre of gravity, contains more luggage space and has a canopy to cover both puller and passengers.

The jury and felicitation
Bridgestone India states that the jury comprised Dr Sudha Kothari, Founder and Managing Trustee, Chaitanya; Arindam Lahiri, CEO at Automotive Skills Development Council – India; Prashant Ranjan Verma, General Secretary, National Association for the Blind; and Dr Lidwin Dias, Principal, College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai. Bridgestone India was represented on the jury by Apurv Choubey, Chief Human Resource Officer and Rajarshi Moitra Chief Commercial Officer.

The awardees were felicitated at the event attended by industrialist, philanthropist, humanitarian, Lila Poonawalla, as the Chief Guest, and Shankar Venkateshwaran, renowned expert on ESG and responsible business, as the keynote speaker, among other dignitaries from corporates, NGOs and the government and local administration, as per Bridgestone India.

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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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