JK Tyre & Industries, one of the leading tyre manufacturers in the country, has kicked off its annual JK Tyre-WIAA Women’s Rally to the Valley 2025 from the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Worli, Mumbai.

The annual event presented by JK Tyre is organised by the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA). This year's event saw participation from more than 300 women in around 100 cars. It is organised in the TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) format and offers an exciting motorsport experience that unites women from diverse backgrounds.

This year’s event was flagged off by Pooja Batra, acclaimed Indian actress and model, Praveen Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, JK Tyre & Industries and Nitin Dossa, Executive Chairman, WIAA.

Sanjay Sharma, Head – Corporate Communication & Motorsport, JK Tyre, said, "For over a decade, JK Tyre has been committed to breaking barriers and making motorsport more inclusive for women. The JK Tyre – WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley has grown into a marquee event that not only celebrates the spirit of motorsports but also amplifies important social causes. We are thrilled to see the enthusiasm among participants and look forward to concluding this rally in total control.”

The JK Tyre-WIAA Women’s Rally to the Valley 2025 saw participants raise awareness around various social causes such as road safety, women’s empowerment, sustainability, honouring women traffic police and the 'Save the Soil' movement.

Nitin Dossa, said, “The goal of the annual women’s rally is to advocate legislation and policies for women’ empowerment and for their working rights. We push for girl child education and fight against sexual harassment. Today’s woman is no longer a dependant soul. She is independent, self-reliant, and capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to. These rallies have gained tremendous popularity and are now a matter of pride and keen interest for all automobile owners.”

Continental has launched three all-new MTB tyres in order to give riders better performance, longevity and maximum grip on any terrain. Every rider, from XC racers to trail fans, will find the ideal tyre for their preferred terrain thanks to the addition of the new Dubnital, Trinotal and Magnotal tyres to the well-known Gravity line.

Dubnital is designed for dry to moist environments and is best suited for rocky, hardpack and medium-loose soils. It is designed to fulfil the demands of XC and downhill riders seeking maximum speed. Dubnital, a direct successor to the 'Race King', offers unrivalled efficiency, grip and control at high speeds thanks to its cutting-edge tread and innovative rubber compositions. Trinotal, which replaces the popular 'Cross King', is meant to be versatile and perform well in both dry and wet circumstances. The tyre is designed for XC and downhill riders and provides excellent grip and stability, helping them to easily tackle a range of terrains. The all-rounder Magnotal, which replaces the 'Mountain King', is designed for aggressive all-mountain and trail riders and strikes the ideal mix of performance and control. It thrives. Magnotal provides excellent grip for riders in dry to wet situations, tackling hard, loose and muddy soils with ease.

Alexander Haenke, Product Manager – MTB & Gravel, Continental Tires, said: “With the introduction of Dubnital, Trinotal and Magnotal, we are proud to complete the overhaul of our MTB lineup, finally replacing our iconic 'Kings’. The new models now seamlessly fit into the nomenclature and logic of our Gravity range tyres, and give riders the freedom to use our portfolio as a playground to create their perfect setup. We’ve tested these tyres with gold-medal-winning athletes to ensure they perform at the highest level – now it’s your turn to push their limits. While our technology has already been proven in the world of gravity, we’re excited to see how riders take them to new heights across other disciplines”.

The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has said in its latest statement that the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and the SPD essentially establishes the correct goals from the standpoint of the German rubber industry.

The promises to technical openness in the automobile sector, to cutting bureaucracy and to a risk-based approach in chemicals policy are undoubtedly welcome, according to Michael Klein, President, wdk. He said that the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act's announced repeal is a significant step towards reducing the burden on businesses and will satisfy the rubber industry's requests during the election campaign.

Praising the announced support for the circular economy, he said, "Waste tyre recycling, in particular, is a prime example of the diverse and successful possibilities of using recycled materials and tyre retreading. The coalition partners would have liked to have highlighted rubber products more clearly here. The promises to reduce bureaucracy are also in line with the demands of the business community. This is especially true for bureaucracy practice checks, which were proposed by the wdk."

But before any real action is done, he also warned that nothing is as it seems because prior government coalitions have also pledged to lessen the various reporting obligations. The executive lamented that the coalition agreement did not specifically target energy-intensive, industrial SMEs and made no mention of market monitoring, although applauding the announced relief for industry from high energy costs.

"Now it's important to breathe life into the letter of the coalition agreement and implement the agreed measures promptly and in close dialogue with the business community. The German rubber industry is happy to provide its expertise for this purpose and will continue to closely and critically monitor the implementation of the agreements,” concluded the wdk President.

Tyre manufacturer Maxxis is celebrating a double triumph after two new products received gold recognition at the prestigious MUSE Design Awards, often called the “Oscars of the design world.”

The company’s Victra Sport 6 (VS6) and HP6 tyres earned Gold Awards in the competition, which evaluates entries on aesthetic appearance and functional performance. These international awards attract submissions from designers across 68 countries, with tens of thousands of entries competing annually.

Both award-winning tyres were specifically designed for luxury cars, performance vehicles, and the high-end new energy market. They feature innovative design concepts and advanced technological applications.

Andy Lee, president of Maxxis International—USA, expressed the company's gratitude: "On behalf of our global company and the design team in China that created these tyres, I’d like to thank the MUSE Design Awards for this recognition. Winning these awards signifies that these two tyres meet world-class standards in creativity and functionality and demonstrate our group’s extraordinary strength in tyre design to the world. We are deeply honoured.”

The MUSE Awards evaluate excellence across numerous design disciplines, including architectural, interior, product, transportation, landscape, lighting and fashion design.

 Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres has received mixed rulings in a Court of Appeal case relating to alleged securities market violations from 2015-2016, partially overturning earlier dismissals by the District Court.

While the Court of Appeal dismissed charges against five former board members, it sentenced former President and CEO Ari Lehtoranta to a fine for a securities market information offence. The court ruled that the company failed to adequately disclose information affecting the value of its securities in December 2015.

Additionally, three company employees received fines, and one was sentenced to 4 months and 15 days of suspended imprisonment for misuse of inside information related to transactions with company stock options in late 2015. Nokian Tyres itself was ordered to pay a corporate fine of €50,000.

The court rejected allegations that the company had engaged in improper practices during magazine tests of its products.

The company expressed surprise at the judgment, with attorney-at-law Kai Kotiranta stating: “We will go through the verdict carefully and assess separately whether there is reason to apply for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.”

Nokian Tyres noted that the Court of Appeal’s judgment is not final and declined further comment.

This case dates back to 2022, when the District Court had initially dismissed all charges against the company and its former executives.