The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI), Rajasthan Branch, recently organised a two-day seminar on ‘Sustainable Circularity in Rubber Industries: Role of Quality, Cost, Safety, and Productivity’ in Udaipur on August 23-24, 2024. 

The seminar was inaugurated by Mohammad Saif, CEO, of RCPSDC, who served as the Chief Guest, and Dr. Jitendra K. Taylia, President of Vidya Bhawan Society, as the Guest of Honour. Delivering the keynote address Dr. R. Mukhopadhyay, Chairman of the Indian Rubber Institute, emphasised on the importance of sustainable circularity and providing an overview of the seminar's theme.

Over 150 delegates attended the event representing various sectors, including the tyre industry, rubber chemical manufacturers, research scholars, college students, and technocrats. Experts from certifying agencies such as DNV and CII were also in attendance. 

The seminar featured 24 paper presentations on topics related to the theme, with contributions from tyre and rubber chemical experts, top executives in plant operations, R&D, sustainability departments, and machinery manufacturing. These presentations included research papers and case studies by industry experts, technocrats, and research scholars.

The event was supported by 22 companies as sponsors. 

One of the highlights of the event was a miniature working transparent model made by Dr. Sunil K. Jagasia, which garnered significant attention.

IRI Rajasthan branch was formed in November 1988.

The event also witnessed an award ceremony, which saw the Lifetime Legacy Award being presented to Dr R P Singhania; Dr R Mukhopadhyay; V K Misra; Dr Sunil K. Jagasia; Dr Samar Bandyopadhyay; Dr Arup Chandra; Dinesh Porwal; Dr P P Chattaraj; Sasi and O P Sharma.

The IRI Rajasthan Branch was also recognised for its role and saw the Outstanding Dedication Award to P K Dubey; Dr Vikram S. Kumawat; Chetan Sharma; Dr N K Sharma and Mohammed Asif.

Additionally, the Ravi Soni Group of Companies initiated an annual award named after Kamal Bir Soni to recognise outstanding performance within the Indian Rubber Institute's Rajasthan Branch. Dr. Vikram Singh Kumawat received this award for 2022-23, acknowledging his contributions with a memento.

Sentury Tire USA has opened pre-enrolment for its two associate dealer programmes (ADPs), the Delinte HYPERDRIVE Associate Dealer Program and the Landsail Elyte Associate Dealer Program, underscoring the company’s commitment to rewarding dedication and partnership to the Landsail and Delinte brands.

The ADPs, which are customised for each brand and intended to encourage dealers, will formally start on 1 June 2025. Both programmes give dealers access to special benefits, incentives and strong tools to help them expand their businesses. This involves dependable customer service, effective marketing and worthwhile financial incentives to promote dealers' success at every stage.

Beginning in Q3, dealers may earn up to USD three per tyre through the Delinte HYPERDRIVE Associate Dealer Program. Dealers can receive retroactive benefits for purchases completed in Q2 if they register before 1 June. The awards are available for all Delinte PTR, LTR and the new DV3 LMD AS last-mile delivery tyres. For all Landsail PTR and LTR tyres, independent dealers that sign up for the Landsail Elyte Associate Dealer Program can also earn up to USD three per tyre. For customers who sign up by June 1, the new LMD 100 AS last-mile delivery is also eligible for the benefits and will get the same early bird incentive for Q2 2025.

No initial order is necessary. Dealers only need to register to begin making money. According to the monthly programme rewards structure, 48 tyre purchases each month are eligible for a reward of USD one per tyre, 120 tyres are eligible for a reward of USD two per tyre and 240 or more tyres are eligible for a reward of USD three per tyre.

ENSO, a London-based tyre manufacturer engaged in the production of sustainable tyres specially designed for electric vehicles (EVs), has launched its new ENSO Premium range of EV-specific ultra-high-performance (UHP) tyres aimed at drivers of high-performance EVs such as the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Specifically designed for electric passenger vehicles, the ENSO Premium range comes with A/A EU-label ratings for both energy efficiency and wet grip. The tyres are designed to provide safety, increased range and a reduced total cost of ownership. Conventional tyre designs frequently fall short of the special performance needs of electric vehicles, which include greater vehicle weight, regenerative braking and higher torque loads. By lowering tyre wear and rolling resistance, ENSO Premium takes care of these issues.

The company is an authorised provider of replacement tyres for LEVC's electric taxis and has partnered with Uber to install its tyres in high-mileage metropolitan areas. The company now plans to grow throughout Europe and North America, and with ENSO Premium, it is now offering its services to individual EV owners throughout the United Kingdom. According to ENSO, the range offers advantages including longer tyre life and fewer replacements, lower energy usage, fewer charging stops and lower CO₂ emissions and tyre particle pollution.

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, CEO and Co-Founder, ENSO, said, “We’re plugging a long-standing gap in the tyre market by offering EV drivers a purpose-built, affordable, premium EV tyre alternative that matches the innovation of their EV.”

Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has announced a general price hike in North America for its SBS, SIS and HSBC product lines with effect from 1 May 2025.

Following a careful analysis of the effects of recently implemented tariffs, related cost increases and a conclusion that the company cannot independently absorb these repercussions, Kraton is adopting these pricing hikes, according to a company statement. The company further said that it will keep an eye on the scene and reassess these measures promptly in the event that conditions and US import tariffs alter.

Trelleborg Tires will showcase its latest tyre solutions for the logistics and material handling industry at the upcoming Intermodal South America 2025, Latin America’s largest and most comprehensive event for logistics, intralogistics, cargo transportation, technology and foreign trade, from 22 to 24 April on booth L100.

Trelleborg's XP1000 tyre is engineered to deliver exceptional performance in terms of comfort, stability, fuel efficiency, durability and mileage. To tackle the demands of today's interlogistics work, this tyre is ideal. By using its unique integrated Pit Stop Line technology, fleet managers can better ensure operator safety and save waste and downtime by knowing when to change their tyres. Locally made, the XP1000 has a cutting-edge tread that is intended to operate sustainably. The tyre's revolutionary fibre composition, which is manufactured from recycled materials, reduces CO2 emissions by up to 110 tonnes annually while saving 866 tonnes of new materials. The new CX940 has an extra-strong casing, an enhanced tread design and a wear-resistant compound that lowers the chance of cuts and punctures. These qualities guarantee great stability, outstanding grip and superior load distribution.

Alessandro Sacco, Sales Director of Trelleborg Tires in South America, said, “Being able to respond quickly and effectively to the specific needs of the South American market is essential. Thanks to our local production, we’re bringing top-quality, high-performance tyres exactly where and when they’re needed. We’re not just supplying products; we’re delivering advanced tyre technology built to match the pace and pressure of today’s logistics. Whether our customers operate in high-intensity ports or dynamic warehouse environments, they can count on Trelleborg Tyres to deliver long-lasting performance while ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness every step of the way.”