It was only many years later that we learnt about the atrocities and the inhuman ways the natives of the Amazon Valley were subjected to by the white barons to develop exporting of natural rubber to Europe to provide the main raw material for the automotive tyre industry which was gradually evolving in to a flourishing industry. The inventing of synthetic rubber in the late 1940s and the development of SBR  due to the short supply of natural rubber from the colonies  in the East to cater for the growing demand for tyres used in the military vehicles during the Second World War and the Korean War is another episode of beyond the border commercial endeavours.

Although the word ‘globalisation’ was coined by Theodore Levitt in 1983 through an article ‘Globalisation of Markets’ which appeared in the Harvard Business Review  (May-June 1983), I feel that we should go way back in the annals of history to get an understanding of the term. This knowledge may not look attractive to the modern business world. Nevertheless, the sociologists and others of similar disciplines will certainly find such knowledge useful in comprehending the modern day socio-economic woes.

Origins of globalisation may possibly be traced back to early human migrations, presumably from the Olduvai George Gorge, a site in Tanzania that holds the earliest evidence of human ancestors. Human migration is the movement of people from one place to another, particularly different countries, with the intent of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location. It typically involves movement over long distances. The driving motive, namely seeking dominance over fellow men and exploiting the natural environment to achieve success, does not seem to have changed over the millions of years.

The emergence of the great civilisations, e.g. Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and their subsequent decline can be attributed to globalisation. Similarly, the invasions and cross-border military conquests of historical fame (or notoriety) such as that of Alexander the Great and colonisation by the West for the exploitation of natural wealth in Asia, Africa and South America reveals an ugly facet of globalisation.

The Silk Route interlinking East Asia and Southeast Asia with South Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southern Europe, on the other hand, was central to the economic, political, cultural and religious interactions between these regions form 2nd century BCE to the 18th century.

The industrialisation and expansion of business and commerce across countries during the past 300-plus years was fuelled by the four industrial revolutions, or waves as some prefer to identify them, namely steam power, conveyor system, computers and digitalisation. The process is continuing to the unforeseeable future with new knowledge and innovations fuelling the globalisation.

The multifaceted nature of globalisation has commonly been identified into eight types as shown below:

•           Political Globalisation

•           Social Globalisation

•           Economic Globalisation

•           Technological Globalisation

•           Financial Globalisation

•           Cultural Globalisation

•           Economic Globalisation

•           Geographical Globalisation

My intention is not to delve in to a discussion about the pros and cons of globalisation, which has been comprehensively documented, but to highlight on some key aspects from this part of the world, especially of the Asian subcontinent.

Knowledge dissemination across border, in my view, is the single most important factor associated with globalisation. This appears common to all the above types of globalisation. The dissemination of the Buddhist doctrine by the great Emperor Asoka to countries spreading from the far East to the Central Asia and Middle East including the present Sri Lanka during 3rd century BCE is one of the earliest recorded instances of globalisation.

Countries with long histories going back to 3,000 to 4,000-plus years, such as India, China and Sri Lanka, possessed a vast knowledge base ingrained in the social consciousness. This appears to have significantly influenced the philosophical and intellectual thought of the Greek and Persian periods. Unfortunately, a major part of this knowledge has been eroded through the influence of the West, which started around the 16th century. One good example of this knowledge found in the ancient irrigation knowledge of Sri Lanka is the engineering  marvel of a gradient of 1 inch per mile in an ancient canal about 87 km long,  built to connect two man-made reservoirs in the 5th century AD. Similarly, India and Sri Lanka possessed a vast indigenous knowledge base in medicine, astrology, architecture, agriculture, irrigation and astrology, and it is somewhat unfortunate that this knowledge has not been adequately globalised. The only significant inroads are seen in tourism. But that too are based on the western norms.

On the other hand, we have acquired a vast knowledge from the industrialised countries on modern management thoughts and technologies which have enabled industrialisation and improvement in living conditions of the populace. In this era of interdependency, a country cannot afford to ignore the technologies which are necessary to maintain a suitable level of competitiveness internationally. However, if this is accomplished at the expense of ignoring the inherent social and cultural foundations, the long-term adverse consequences would be disastrous and unimaginable.

The adverse long-term consequences of the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and the global addiction to pharmaceuticals are already seen physically and socially in practically all the countries, especially the so called underdeveloped or developing countries.

The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the irreversible effects of global warming are two examples of globalisation which are affecting the mere sustenance  of mankind.

A country can immensely benefit by striving for stars through adopting modern technologies. However, the absolute importance of a strong base cannot be ignored or taken lightly. Back to a strong base and reinforcing the base lies at the core of sustainable development.

The words of Mahatma Gandhi echoing from the past reaffirm this plain truth in no uncertain terms.

“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

“What's past is prologue," a quote from William Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’ presumes that though history is written, the future is anyone's to decide – with the knowledge gleaned from the past. (TT)

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Pirelli has developed a new rear tyre solution for the fifth FIM Superbike World Championship round at the Czech Republic’s Most circuit. The track is known for unusually high mechanical strain on rubber, particularly at the rear axle. To address this, Pirelli created the F0468 medium compound rear specification. Its compound matches the D0922, a tyre used at Most in 2025 and at Phillip Island across the previous two seasons. However, the F0468 features an entirely new internal structure for better race-long consistency and improved stability.

This newcomer evolves the E0829 specification, which shared the same compound and appeared at Phillip Island earlier this year. Riders who dislike the F0468 can still choose the D0922 development rear tyre. That option has already proven itself at the unique Czech layout and at Phillip Island, another tyre‑killing circuit. For qualifying and the Superpole Race, Pirelli has designated the standard soft SC0 as the reference rear tyre.

Beyond the premier class, Supersport and SportBike World Championship competitors will also race at Most. Supersport riders receive the same front choices as Superbike: soft SC1 and medium SC2. At the rear, Supersport entries can pick the soft SC0 or the medium SC1. SportBike competitors have used that same medium SC1 on both axles all season.

The tyre lineup thus gives every category familiar options alongside the new F0468. By blending a proven compound with a revised structure, Pirelli targets greater performance consistency without forcing riders to abandon the trusted D0922. Most’s punishing layout will serve as the ultimate test for both solutions.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “Over more than two decades as supplier to the Superbike World Championship, Pirelli has built an extremely solid and versatile tyre range. The SCX supersoft rear solution now represents an absolute benchmark for riders and is used in most races on the calendar, with the soft SC0 becoming a valid alternative on some occasions. There are, however, some circuits that are particularly demanding on tyres, such as Phillip Island and Most, which by virtue of their layout and intrinsic characteristics require more specific solutions and more durable compounds, typically medium options.

“In these cases, development work focuses on improving key parameters such as performance and consistency over race distance: objectives that guided the design of the new rear solution in F0468 specification. To complete the allocation, riders will in any case also have the well-proven D0922 option available, which has shown that it can effectively handle the particular stresses imposed by this circuit. It will be interesting to assess whether the new F0468 medium will be able to raise the performance level beyond that of the D0922 further still.”

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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