JK Tyre is a pioneer in motorsports in India with the credit to transform an unorganised and casual interest in racing into organised motorsport. With the sole purpose of growing the motorsports community in India, the company’s motorsports journey began in the early 1980s when it associated with The Himalayan Rally – India’s premier international event. “Ingraining motorsports in India has always been a key priority for JK Tyre. In India, motorsport is at the key junction of going from a niche to a populous sport, with a cult following,” says Sanjay Sharma, Head – Motorsport, JK Tyre & Industries Limited.

For JK Tyre, motorsport has played a vital role in providing the most potent platform to test tyres in the most extraordinary conditions in absolute terms and to reach out to youth and demonstrate technological prowess to build the brand. Sharma further explains, “Motorsports allow us to continuously test and update our products to offer the best possible tyres for passenger or commercial vehicles. Thanks to its competitive nature, motorsporting activities also inspired us to pioneer the technology used in producing high-performance tyres capable of running in treacherous conditions and at high speeds in racing and rallies.

“More importantly, motorsport is a perfect brand-building exercise for any automobile tyre manufacturer, which allows positioning themselves as an adventurer which  connects with the youth instantly, and excelling and winning also demonstrates the effectiveness of our products. JK Tyre’s name is synonymous with motorsport, and we are committed to making India the motorsport hub of Asia and putting in place a system that is constantly unearthing fresh talent and readying drivers for the global stage.”

Legacy

The company has been associated with a multitude of big and small events happening across India every year. It has invested in motorsport programmes for budding racers interested in taking up motorsport as a career. Today, JK Tyre is present in all the verticals of motorsport, from karting, racing, time-speed-distance navigational events, national and international rallying to 2-wheeler racing, truck racing and off-roading coupled with experiential events and expeditions in the country.

JK Tyre’s National Karting Championship has been running successfully for over 15 years. “Our National Karting Championship is serving as a breeding ground for budding racers. Jehan Daruvala, Arjun Maini, Kush Maini and Yash Aradhya, who have won laurels for the country in the international arena, have all started with us and been our national karting champions,” adds Sharma.

JK Tyre National Racing Championship is the longest-running racing championship in the country, which is in its 24th successive year. It was also the first company to acquire the FIA accredited series Formula BMW and rechristened it as the JK Racing Asia Series, which ran as a support race across F1 tracks in Asia and Europe. Subsequently, the company introduced the series as part of its National Racing Championship as JK Euro Cup to give the Indian racers a chance to race in the FIA accredited Formula 3 cars on their home turf. 

The company was one of the inaugural partners of the franchise based X1 Racing League in 2019 and partners of Racing Team India for its debut at Asian Le Mans 2021. “We have been leading in the Indian National Rally Championship with our ace driver, Arjuna Awardee and also our brand ambassador Gaurav Gill winning the coveted title for the seventh time,” adds Sharma.

According to Sharma, back then, the country lacked the infrastructure required for motorsports, and JK Tyre has been actively developing world-class infrastructure. “To nurture and mentor young talent, we have put together a step by step motorsport progression ladder for budding enthusiasts. We encourage young talent in our karting championships post. They graduate to race in the Indian make Formula 4 cars and then further move to Formula 3 cars in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship. After that, they go on to compete in major international events on a global stage. For this, we also introduced India’s first motorsport academy to foster the spirit of young racers,” elaborates Sharma.

Grooming New Breeds

Currently, JK Tyre has the best grid of rally drivers in the Indian National Rally Championship. Along with Indian rally ace Gaurav Gill’s expertise, the company has kickstarted a Rally Academy where Gaurav himself mentors its team of rally drivers.

“An important part of our goal when we became involved with motorsport was to develop the sport and support its sportsmen, and not just use it for product development. Today, we are proud to state that 90 percent of Indians flying the national flag globally are in one way or other have been a part of the JK Tyre development programme. When the Indian National Anthem plays on an international podium, it is indeed a proud moment for us,” says Sharma.

Tyre Test On Racing Turf

For JK Tyre, motorsport is essential in tyre development as it provides an organic testing ground for its products. The conditions in motorsports are not simulated and prove effective in comprehending actual results on the ground, without parameters and conditionalities.

 Motorsport drivers have a more diverse range of needs for their tyres, challenging to meet and balance the off-road rally events tyres on the track. Racing events are different and call for different tyre design approaches. Major performance expectations from tyres are extremely good longitudinal grip for quick braking and acceleration and excellent lateral grip for sharp cornering. They must be robust enough to operate in different terrains and on various surfaces without any punctures and structural damage. These requirements push tyre designers to the limits and constantly make designers think out of the box. “To meet the performance requirements of motorsport tyres, unique tyre pattern designs, constructions and compounds have to be developed. Few of these designs and compounds are horizontally deployed in commercial tyres as well to enhance the performance,” says Sharma.

 Gaining Popularity

Sharma thinks that motorsport is gaining traction in India. He adds that while cricket remains the preferred sport, motorsport still is the second most-watched sport in India. “Motorsport is a unique combination of man and machine. And with technology advancing, the sport also has seen much advancement in the country. In the last 10 years, the way progress has been made is almost at par with the world. The Indian motorsports industry has grown multifold over the past few years and will continue on this growth path in the future as well. With increasing participation in international rallies and events, the country’s role in global motorsports has never been this recognised.

“From Khel Ratna Deepa Mallik to Padma Shri Narain Karthikeyan and from Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill to Pradhan Mantri Bal Puruskar awardee Yash Aradhya, they are all standing examples of motorsport getting its due recognition. Over the years, we have seen many auto and auto ancillary manufacturers use this platform in one way or another, either by participating in the sport or using it to test their products. In any case, the industry participation is unparallel to any other sport,” explains Sharma.

Women In Motorsports

Sharma claims Initiatives of JK have encouraged the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to focus on women in motorsport. Today in India, there is a commission that only concentrates on women in motorsport with its principal supporter JK Tyre. Over the years, JK Tyre has also played a proactive role in encouraging women to take to the sport, and its efforts have yielded satisfying results.

“JK Tyre adopted FIA’s highly successful initiative: the Girls on Track (GoT) programme, to spread awareness at the grassroots level and encourage girls to come to the race track and take to the sport. The event attracted a huge number of entries from young girls from across the country,” adds Sharma.

Sneha Sharma and Mira Erda emerged from JK Tyre’s karting programmes and are now competing in international formula racing. In fructification of these efforts, the JK Tyre National Racing Championship also features an all-women’s motor racing team. In addition to this, the company has specially curated women-centric TSD events like the Times Women Drive, Defence Wives Power Drive, FICCI Flo and Rally to the valley, which are the most awaited events in the calendar. “Today, in any and every vertical of motorsport, there is almost up to 20 percent participation of women on each grid,” adds Sharma.

Going Forward

JK Tyre will continue to consolidate its partnership with motorsports across verticals and continue investing in technology and bringing India closer to world standards. “We have already seen a tremendous growth of motorsport in the past decade. However, there’s still a long way to go. We pride ourselves on our active participation in almost every vertical of motorsport event happening in the country and will continue to do so in the forthcoming years. While the pandemic may have slowed the progress, the motorsport industry will be back in action with the upcoming seasons to look forward,” concludes Sharma.(TT)

As part of a strategic effort to increase its presence in the region's premium original equipment (OE) market, Kumho Tire has confirmed its plans to establish its first tyre production facility in Europe by 2027.

The company has shortlisted Poland, Serbia and Portugal as possible locations for the plant, which is projected to need an investment of more than KRW1 trillion (USD 705 million). The decision is closely linked to Kumho’s ambition to strengthen its partnerships with European automakers and was revealed by Kumho Tire CEO during the South Korean premiere of Kumho's new Ecsta Sport tyre line.

Kumho has recently secured OE supply contracts with major brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen Group. At the moment, Kumho runs eight tyre production plants in China, Vietnam, South Korea and the US. Its capacity to compete in the premium OE market, however, has come to be perceived as being constrained by the absence of a European production base. Through the benefits of local production, the new facility will improve response to European client requests, save freight costs and shorten delivery times, all of which will strengthen the company's partnerships.

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.