Apollo Tyres, one of India’s largest tyre manufacturers is said to have improved its productivity by 9 percent. The tyre major worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner Deloitte, to implement an Internet of Things (IoT) solution on Amazon Web Services, connecting its production equipment to a data lake. 

Through a centralised dashboard the company saw nine percent improvement in its productivity on primary equipment and nine percent reduction in energy usage as it got access to real-time data collection, integration, and advanced analytics.

At present, Apollo Tyres has seven manufacturing plants in Asia and Europe. AWS states that the company’s widespread operations was facing limited insights into the performance of its expensive equipment’s. It wanted an IoT solution to digitalise and standardise its manufacturing processes, where machine data held the key to process efficiency.

While many may not be aware, manufacturing tyres is a very complex process and involves numerous steps and a variety of heavy equipment. The machines at Apollo Tyres were equipped with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, which collect data on production capacity and other metrics. But this data was siloed, offering a window into the performance of individual machines only, with no basis for comparison between machines or plants.

AWS stated that limited visibility were particularly concerning in the case of Apollo’s tyre rubber mixers. These machines are crucial to the manufacturing process. They are also extremely capital intensive — representing an investment of about $24 million (INR 2 billion) each, including related infrastructure — labour intensive, and energy intensive. Any improvement to their performance promised significant returns.

Shibu George, Global Head Advanced Manufacturing, Apollo Tyres said, “With the help of Deloitte, we could shine a light and show our teams how the data could help them improve. It was a great experience. When we started streaming data to AWS, we could compare the performance within the plant, and across plants. That was a unique opportunity.”

With seamless access to mixer data, Apollo Tyres was able to identify performance discrepancies and take corrective actions. The company proceeded with deeper analytics and improved productivity by nine percent — equivalent to the capacity of more than one mixer. 

This also helped reduce its energy usage by three percent, which may look small, but it is important to understand that a single mixer has a massive energy load of about 10 megawatts, which is enough to illuminate a town of about 200,000 people. Reducing CO2 emissions in this energy load by a mere three percent is equivalent to cutting emissions from 4,000 vehicles traveling for an entire year.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Linglong Tire Vice President Feng Baochun represented the Chinese tyre industry at the Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development High-Level Forum 2026, held in Beijing in April. He addressed the session titled ‘New Stage, New Drivers, New Ecosystem – Market and Consumption’, sharing the latest insights into tyre market developments.

During his presentation, ‘Reinventing Product Values, Strengthening a New Smart Mobility Ecosystem’, he explained that profound changes in the automotive sector – driven by artificial intelligence, shifting environmental factors and globalisation – are redefining the role of the tyre. He stated that tyres are evolving from traditional safety components into critical parts that significantly influence overall vehicle performance.

To meet these demands, Linglong is actively building innovation drivers in global research, development and marketing, aiming to become a product and service provider for intelligent mobility rather than remaining a classic tyre manufacturer. The company currently focuses on optimising rolling resistance. Through new sustainable materials and advanced compound technologies, Linglong has achieved a balance between energy efficiency and performance.

This balance is an indispensable requirement for major national and international automotive manufacturers. Linglong continuously researches, develops and tests with these partners to meet strict original equipment tire standards, reinforcing its commitment to the new smart mobility ecosystem.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) has unveiled an ambitious expansion and investment roadmap aimed at more than doubling its revenue to around INR 230 billion by FY30, backed by a cumulative capital expenditure of INR 68 billion.

The company said the investment programme would strengthen its leadership in the off-highway tyre (OHT) segment, expand carbon black capacity and accelerate its entry into India’s on-highway tyre market. The strategy forms part of BKT’s long-term plan to achieve an estimated 8 percent global market share in the OHT segment by FY30.

BKT has already announced INR 13 billion of capex for OHT tyres in August 2024 and an additional INR 35 billion investment in May 2025 for on-highway tyres, rubber tracks, carbon black and power plant expansion. The board has further approved INR 20 billion in additional capex to support capacity expansion, infrastructure development, AI-enabled automation and sustainability initiatives.

As part of the OHT expansion strategy, BKT said ongoing debottlenecking and capacity enhancement initiatives would raise OHT tyre capacity to 425,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA). The company is also expanding its dedicated rubber tracks manufacturing facility while strengthening its mining tyre portfolio.

In the carbon black business, the company is scaling up production to improve raw material integration and energy efficiency. BKT said Phase 1 capacity has already been increased to 265,000 MTPA along with a 24 MW cogeneration power plant, taking total cogeneration capacity at Bhuj to 64 MW. Phase 2 expansion, which will raise carbon black capacity to 360,000 MTPA, is expected to become operational in Q1 FY27.

The company is simultaneously building its on-highway tyre business in India through a modular approach focused initially on premium passenger car radial tyres and commercial vehicle radial tyres. Commercial vehicle radial tyres were pilot launched in Q4 FY26, while passenger car radial tyres are scheduled for pilot launch in Q3 FY27.

For FY26, BKT reported standalone revenue of INR 106.56 billion, while net profit stood at INR 12.22 billion. OHT sales volumes rose 1 percent year-on-year to 317,356 MT.

The company said the expansion programme is expected to enhance profitability through stronger operational integration, scalable infrastructure and an expanded product portfolio, with blended EBITDA margins projected in the 23–25 per cent range after full commercialisation of the new capacities.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Continental has unveiled plans to build a highly automated finished-goods warehouse in Mount Vernon, Illinois, representing an investment of roughly USD 76 million. The new facility, which will cover an area larger than six American football fields and hold approximately 500,000 passenger car tyres, aims to address growing demand across North America while improving service levels and customer support. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2026, with operations expected to launch the following year.

The Mount Vernon location already holds the distinction of being Continental’s largest tyre production facility in United States and serves as a linchpin for its supply network throughout the Americas. Tyre manufacturing has been a constant at this site for over 50 years, dating back to its 1974 opening; Continental took ownership in 1987. Today, the vast campus – measuring more than 320,000 square metres – produces tyres for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles, churning out roughly 11.4 million units annually while employing over 3,500 people.

Continental continues to advance digitalisation and automation across its global manufacturing operations, which include 19 tyre plants in 16 countries. The company is prioritising new technologies, alternative materials, environmentally friendly production methods and ongoing improvements in logistics efficiency.

Tansu Işık, CEO, Continental Tires Americas, said, “Our new highly automated finished-goods warehouse underscores our growth ambitions in North America. The new facility will enhance our ability to serve customers with greater speed and flexibility while strengthening our overall distribution network in the region.”

Nik Pearce, Plant Manager of Continental’s Mount Vernon tyre plant, said, “This investment is a strong signal for the future of our Mount Vernon plant. It enhances our capabilities, further modernises our operations and makes our plant logistics more efficient. At the same time, it strengthens our operations at local level and creates new development opportunities for our employees.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

CAMSO Construction has publicly confirmed its market entry readiness for United Kingdom and Ireland, representing the second stage of its broader European rollout. This follows the business’s initial success in Southern Europe after the RPG Group formally acquired the compact construction tyres and tracks division from Michelin in September 2025.

The move into UK and Irish markets aligns with CAMSO Construction’s deliberate phased growth strategy, transitioning from establishing a regional foothold to scaling operations in high-potential territories. The company now manages its own product distribution and has already taken delivery of its first shipment of construction tyres and tracks, now warehoused in UK. With a global leadership team, proprietary engineering capabilities and existing manufacturing infrastructure, the firm is positioned to offer performance-focused tyres and tracks designed for local construction demands.

Industry requirements in UK place a premium on machine uptime, durability and operational productivity. CAMSO Construction aims to function as a dependable technical partner, supported by cross-market expertise and a strong after-sales framework. Responsive service, comprehensive warranty programmes and a commitment to on-the-ground customer productivity form the core of its long-term partnership model for the region.

Amit Tolani, Director, CAMSO Construction, said, “Our entry into the UK & Ireland marks a significant milestone in our second wave of European expansion. CAMSO is already a premium and trusted brand across Europe, known for its proven performance and reliability. We are not just entering the market, we are investing to build a strong, scalable presence on the ground, backed by proven products, responsive service and a clear focus on delivering measurable value to our customers.”

Steffen Sahl, Director of Sales, said, “Success in the UK will come down to understanding local realities – dealer expectations, contractor demands and fleet uptime pressures. We have built our model around exactly that: the right product fit, backed by technical expertise and people who are close to the customer and quick to respond.”

James Noon, Head of Sales, Northern Europe, said, “The UK is one of Europe’s most strategically important compact construction markets. CAMSO Construction is a premium brand that contractors, dealers and OEMs already know and trust. The brand has strong affinity and proven product quality, with the lowest overall operating costs. Our goal is to further strengthen our leadership position by being closer to customers, faster in response and relentless in delivering measurable value on the ground.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!