The priority for the newly elected president of All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), Dr Sawar Dhanania, is to create an ecosystem in the Indian rubber sector with the help of all stakeholders, especially small ones, for sustainable growth. "I find the rubber ecosystem is not in place, and every sector that has to go forward or meet the challenges has to have an ecosystem. All the links should be in place to take the MSME sector forward along with big players in the industry," said Dr Dhanania.

"We have identified the issue and are working on it. To have the ecosystem, we require the participation of all stakeholders in the sector to make it stronger," added Dr Dhanania.

Due to the erratic supply chain, buyers are losing price negotiation powers, especially MSMEs. Meanwhile, soaring prices of raw materials are adding fuel to the challenges. According to Dr Dhanania, the MSME sector requires special-purpose rubbers, such as EPDM, Nitrile, Neoprene, SBR and others to make the goods. However, suppliers from other countries are dictating the terms due to the current situation. "Currently, manufacturers in the MSME sector are facing challenges as they cannot increase the prices of finished goods even though the demand is picking up, and they have to buy raw materials at soaring prices," explained Dr Dhanania.

Coupled with skyrocketing raw material prices, the lack of testing facilities for raw materials and finished rubber goods for the MSME players is another primary concern, as per Dr Dhanania. "Due to growing exports and quality requirements in the local market, we too are getting quality conscious. We need testing facilities at the door level according to the standards," said Dr Dhanania.

In May, the AIRIA will approach the government to avail special-purpose rubber and other raw material at fair prices through imports to meet domestic demand being infused by the growing infrastructure development and export demand. 

The association will also urge the government to make FTAs more favourable to the domestic industry and boost local supplies of speciality rubber to lessen dependency on imports. "To tap the opportunities in new markets, we will motivate our rubber goods manufacturers to export goods. We will focus on exploring the new market for our members. Currently, we are collecting and analysing the data for MSMEs. We will provide data to the manufacturers about the export details for the countries where they can possibly supply their rubber goods," expressed Dr Dhanania.

The Arab and European countries are currently the largest export market for the Indian rubber goods companies. Rubber sheeting, cycle tyre & tubes, footwear and moulded products are among India's largest export rubber goods. However, India contributes merely one percent of the total global rubber export, which stands at around USD 200 billion. 

The association also seeks stimulus packages for the rubber industry. "With the technological changes, we want to upgrade our processing technology and add some new machines. But since we are facing so many problems like increasing raw material prices and inverted duties, we don't have a surplus in our hands to invest in the machines," said Dr Dhanania.

The AIRIA will also enhance its activities to hone workers' skills in the MSME sector. According to the new president, the association did face some challenges in providing training in the rubber sector in the past, but it will soon launch training and educational courses for academia and industry. "Even for the people working in the rubber industry for a long time, we will launch reskilled training programmes. We will be discussing with RCPSDC how the technical expertise will provide the practical training to the industry people as lots of machines are required for such training," added Dr Dhanania. 

The AIRIA will soon introduce an e-portal where the association members can market their products digitally. "With this portal, job seekers can also get connected to companies," said Dr Dhanania.

Dr Dhanania sees the greater demand will come from the automotive sector. He averred, "The auto companies are not running at the full capacities due to shortage of semiconductors, but for the long term, the demand will pick up, and the government too is spending on building infrastructure. Electric vehicles will generate demand for new types of high-performance rubbers." 

The size of the Indian rubber industry is about INR 1 trillion, out of which INR 700 billion is contributed by the tyre segment and the rest by rubber goods manufacturers. The MSME units in the rubber sector employ about 400,000 people. 

In India, there is a deficit of over 400,000 tonnes of natural rubber, which is being met by imports. However, the government has been serious to narrow the gap between demand and supply. 

Recently, four major tyre companies, part of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), have decided to contribute INR 10 billion for rubber plantation development on 200,000 hectares of land in the North East states of India, over five years.

The AIRIA has postponed the India Rubber Expo (IRE) due to Covid outrage. According to Dr Dhanania, the IRE is likely to be held in 2024 . "As the situation (Covid-19) is improving, we are planning to hold the IRE in 2024. Meanwhile, we will have industry outreach programmes every month in different states, and we may unfold the programme in April," concluded Dr Dhanania.

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Hankook Tire and Technology reported consolidated revenue of KRW 5.4127 trillion and operating profit of KRW 585.9 billion for the third quarter of 2025, the company said in a statement.

Tyre business sales rose 11.2 percent year-over-year to KRW 2.7070 trillion, while operating profit climbed 10.4 percent to KRW 519.2 billion, marking the company’s highest-ever quarterly performance.

Hankook attributed growth to stronger demand across global replacement and OE markets and a rising mix of high-inch tyres. Lower raw material and logistics costs helped cushion the impact of US automotive parts tariffs.

Hanon Systems, which has been fully consolidated into Hankook Tire’s results since the first quarter, generated KRW 2.7057 trillion in revenue, up 8.2 percent from a year earlier. Operating profit reached KRW 95.3 billion, an increase of 1.7 percent year-over-year and 48.2 percent quarter-over-quarter.

High-inch (18 inches and above) passenger car and light truck tyres accounted for 47.4 percent of segment sales in the quarter, up 2.6 percentage points from a year earlier. EV tyre sales represented 27 percent of the total, a 7-point increase year-over-year.

Hankook continued expanding OE fitments for premium EVs, citing supply agreements for the Porsche Macan, Xiaomi YU7, BMW iX, New i4 and New X3. The company now equips about 50 global automotive brands across more than 290 models.

Hankook’s EV-focused iON line-up and Ventus performance range won EV Tire of the Year and Performance Tire of the Year at the UK-based WhatTyre Awards, reinforcing its technology leadership.

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GRI is preparing to showcase the latest developments in its agricultural line-up with a special event scheduled for Monday, November 10, 2025, just before Agritechnica opens in Hanover.

The company said in a statement that the event will mark a significant step in its innovation and expansion strategy with new products designed to offer greater strength, performance and sustainability in the agricultural sector. Attendees will have the chance to engage with GRI’s leadership, partners and industry peers as the company outlines its vision for the future of farming.

The company, in partnership with Grasdorf GmbH, will unveil its expanded European strategy and German market entry at Agritechnica 2025. The event, titled 'Growing From Strength to Strength', will showcase new collaborations, technologies and sustainable solutions for agriculture.

Speakers include GRI Director of Europe Giorgio Gramegna and Grasdorf Managing Director Joachim G. Wolf among others. Presentations will focus on innovative product launches, technical advancements and partnership-driven models aimed at enhancing agricultural performance and sustainability.

The announcement underscores GRI’s commitment to its growth in Europe, cementing its role in shaping the future of agricultural innovation and market trust.

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CEAT Ltd said it will invest up to INR 34 million in its wholly owned subsidiary Tyresnmore Online Pvt Ltd through a subscription to a rights issue, the tyre maker said in a stock exchange disclosure on Wednesday.

The company will subscribe to 27,855 equity shares in Tyresnmore, and its shareholding in the subsidiary will remain at 100 percent, CEAT said.

The investment is categorised as a related-party transaction but has been carried out on an arm’s-length basis. No regulatory approvals are required, it added.

Tyresnmore, incorporated in 2014 and based in New Delhi, sells automotive tyres, batteries and accessories, and provides fitting and wheel services. The unit reported turnover of INR 322.57 million for the year ended 31 March 2025, compared with INR 255.86 million the previous year.

The shares are expected to be allotted by 24 November 2025.

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NEXEN TIRE reported third-quarter 2025 sales of 780.7 billion won and operating profit of 46.5 billion won, the company said on Thursday, as stronger demand in Europe and South Korea helped offset the impact of item-specific tariffs in the United States.

Sales in Europe were supported by an expansion of original equipment supply for newly launched vehicles and higher demand for winter products following tighter seasonal tyre regulations. In South Korea, the company posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue, aided by peak summer demand and continued growth in its tyre rental business.

Profit margins improved from the previous quarter, helped by lower raw material costs and reduced logistics expenses, with prices for natural and synthetic rubber and the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) remaining on a downward trend.

The company has been rolling out region-specific product strategies. In South Korea, it launched the N’FERA Supreme EV ROOT in August, designed for both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles. It also brought the WINGUARD SPORT 3 winter tyre to Europe and Japan, and strengthened its U.S. high-performance line-up with the N’FERA SPORT, already supplied as original equipment to premium European carmakers. In Australia, it added the ROADIAN ATX for larger sport utility vehicles.

NEXEN TIRE is also expanding its international footprint, with new sales bases recently opened in Spain and Poland, and additional hubs planned in Southeastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

The tyre maker said it is enhancing R&D efficiency through the adoption of a High Dynamic Driving Simulator, the first of its kind in South Korea's automotive sector, allowing reduced reliance on physical prototypes and road tests. The firm also received approval for its near-term emissions reduction targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in September.

“The solid performance in the third quarter, even after factoring in tariff-related costs, indicates that our strategy for managing external uncertainties is yielding positive results,” CEO John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim said. “We will continue to pursue sustainable growth through product portfolio diversification and the optimisation of global production operations.”

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