Jyotsna came on board as the CFO and Head of IT of Bridgestone India, around two-and-a-half years ago - in April 2018. Since then, she has ensured attentive capacities are in place, thus focusing on maintaining cost control and delegating financial management. Afterall, the tyre industry is highly competitive and market-driven. And yes, digital evolution and safety of her colleagues and business partners have become one of her top priorities during the pandemic.

Raised in a modest and orthodox business family of six daughters, principles such as hard work, humility, and honesty were a natural part of growing up for her. Married at the age of twenty-one, Jyotsna wanted to be more than just a housewife. Thus, she pursued her grinding CA qualification while being a mother of a baby boy.

“I pursued further education and got a professional qualification, CA, in 1994. Not an easy call in any way. The profession itself was demanding and then to be able to garner the support of the larger family was a big task considering the social norms at the time. However, with the great support from my in-laws, my husband Rajesh, and my conviction, I managed to pursue this new path,” Jyotsna recalls.

When asked about what she would attribute to the leadership qualities she has achieved, she reflects on her family background and the formative years of her life. Marriage was the ultimate end-goal for all girls back then, she says. But, her father, who was a civil engineer, and ran a unit into precision tools manufacturing, understood the value of education. He ensured all his daughters received quality higher education. This paid off as all of Jyotsna’s sisters are highly qualified across different streams.

Jyotsna also mentions the underlying importance of financial independence that was ever-present while growing up. These values, coupled with formal education and academics, added to her versatile calibre. However, she says studies were never her cup of tea. Her interests were games, food, and fun. Having done her graduation at BMCC, life was relatively stress-free then.

However, getting married at the early age was a turning point in her life when she braved the conventional social norms at the time and pursued her CA studies. She adds that the journey from 1989-1994 was full of challenges, excitement, courage, and family support. Significant challenges to pursue her CA were to convince the in-laws to allow her to go and live in a hostel and study and to be able to meet social obligations as a newly-wed woman, and not being able to give time to her son.

 “To be able to give my 100% to the studies amidst all of this was quite difficult. However, I always kept my eye on the big picture.”

Jyotsna started her professional career at Kinetic Honda, a manufacturing organisation which, she says, was not perceived to be ideal for women and had limitations to growth. “But that made me work even harder. However, it was a role of my choice, and I worked with them for nine years, and those were my formative career years. A combination of experience at Firodiya, a well-respected business house and a Japanese business brand is great learning for any finance professional. I took additional responsibilities on multiple functions and projects to rise the ladder at a good pace as by now; I had found my Ikigai- a reason to live.”

 “Amidst all this, the family challenges continued as my husband Rajesh had moved to Singapore, and I single-handedly attended to our son”.

At the workplace, she always ensures that she works hard and does everything from grassroots and is never bothered about her designation and qualification as, for her, that is a means and not an end. “Over the years, I worked on building and strengthening relationships and never really kept any limitations to what I wanted to achieve.”

COVID has turned the auto industry upside down. New normal is becoming a part of life and businesses as well. Whereas the challenges of COVID have been unprecedented, it also brought new ways of doing businesses. Now employee safety is becoming a top priority, while digital evolution is bringing a new era ahead of the industry.

At Bridgestone, Jyotsna says, the safety of their people and safeguarding their operations have been the topmost priority. Ever since COVID first hit the country, the company took proactive measures to not only keep the people safe but, also streamline operations in the wake of new normal. Furthermore, at the back of accelerated digitisation, Bridgestone India has been able to bring the right solutions for its consumers as well as ensure the same levels of productivity within the organisation. 

When asked about how she feels about working in such a dynamic industry, Jyotsna says, “The automobile industry is where my professional career is slated. Kinetic Honda, SKF Bearings, NRB Bearings, Sandvik Asia and now Bridgestone are my performing turfs. One side of the industry, i.e., channel partners, are the same - similar channels set up requirements, risks, opportunities, and expectations of the partners. What differs is the strength of the product and strength of the competitor. Bridgestone, with its world-class Japanese technology in tyre manufacturing, is one of the leading and most trusted brands with all the strengths on the product, manufacturing, and innovation.” 

“The market in India is huge, and the progressive growth and demographics of the country are definitely positive. At Bridgestone India, we are financially secure with a good product range, best manufacturing facilities, substantial market share, reliable channel partners and an ambitious and committed workforce. The biggest risk is getting complacent and losing focus on cost. The tyre industry is competitive, and market driven. Also, the capacities are in place, thus keeping focus and maintaining cost control is the financial management challenge which is exciting.”

Like everyone, COVID has influenced Jyotsna’s personal and professional life. According to her, COVID was a blessing in disguise to be able to spend all this time at home and spending time to call and check on all near and dear ones, reconnecting, rejuvenating were positives in this situation.

However, work from home bears multiple challenges and ,for her the divide between official work and domestic duties was practically invisible. As the Head of IT and CFO, Jyotsna had a great responsibility to ensure the digital solutions were up and running and without causing the loss of productivity at the same time managing concerns around security and support. “As a CFO, a time to complete FY 20 financials and audits, and the Mid-term – 3 years business plan process which were very challenging.”

“But I would say the times have tested my abilities to stay strong under all situations. I would like to say this to my fellow leaders that encourage your teams throughout and keep the work exciting as always. This will ensure a positive sentiment in these trying times.”

As much as work is refreshing with so much happening, Jyotsna does take personal time to recharge. She loves to drive and have been doing rallies like Raid the Himalaya, Desert Storm, Spice Challenge. She has also done international driving vacations.

 “Amidst the lockdown, I recently drove to Bangalore to be with my son Prateek. The memory of absolutely traffic-free roads and my car racing at 230-250 with confidence to touch Bangalore from Pune non-stop in 9 hours was wonderful. We drove through Kabini and spent a holiday together, making memories.”

“I also like to read, so I took this opportunity to download the most read books Ikigai, Atomic Habits, Just do It – the Nike story and many more.”

 “Netflix was another relaxing way to spend some time, and the most exciting watch for me was Drills apart from many others. I love to socialise and continued e-socialising as well.”

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Tegeta Green Planet has launched an educational initiative targeting young people to foster environmental responsibility and awareness. The effort responds to the growing global challenges of sustainable development and environmental protection. By focusing on youth education, the organisation aims to build a foundation for long-term ecological consciousness and active public participation in preserving natural resources.

Operating since 2022, Tegeta Green Planet is among the first entities in Georgia authorised by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture under the Extended Producer Responsibility framework. This system is central to modern environmental policy, ensuring full-cycle management of specific waste streams such as used tyres, oils and batteries. The process covers collection, transportation, recycling and further handling aligned with circular economy principles.

As part of this drive, company representatives visited multiple schools in Batumi, a Black Sea coastal city and major tourist hub. Given Batumi’s rapid urbanisation and growing tourism, the need for proper waste management and ecological awareness is especially acute. The interactive sessions included presentations and workshops, teaching students how to handle used tyres, batteries and oils correctly; why such management is vital and how waste can become a resource through circular economy models. Students also learned how individual responsible behaviour affects the environment and the future.

The programme employs a practical format with educational games and activities after presentations, encouraging participants to ask questions and discuss eco-friendly daily choices. Attendees receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation. Through this project, Tegeta Green Planet continues its educational work across Georgia, aiming to inform and involve the younger generation in building a cleaner environment. The organisation maintains that environmental care extends beyond waste management to include education and a culture of responsibility for a sustainable future.

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TyreSafe and Good Egg Safety CIC have formed a major national partnership to tackle child seat misuse and vehicle safety together. The collaboration unites the UK’s leading child seat safety organisation with the country’s road safety charity, creating a pioneering programme designed to address both risks at scale. Following a planned pilot with Bradford City Council’s Road Safety Team, the initiative will roll out joint child seat and tyre safety check clinics across the UK using a data-led approach that reflects real-world road risks.

Good Egg Safety’s evidence, drawn from over 45,000 child seat checks, shows that more than 60 percent of child restraints are incorrectly fitted or incompatible, with many involving serious errors that could lead to life-changing or fatal injuries. Simultaneously, unroadworthy or illegal tyres remain a critical but often overlooked factor in many collisions. The partnership directly confronts both hazards by protecting children inside the vehicle while ensuring the vehicle itself is safe for emergency manoeuvres.

Good Egg Safety is known for its government-funded Advanced Child Seat Training Programme, which has accredited hundreds of professionals from police, fire and rescue, public health and local authorities. Unlike awareness-only campaigns, its evidence-based and behaviour-led approach has produced average knowledge increases of over 500 percent among professionals and up to 96 percent retention at six months. The new partnership extends this impact into real-world intervention and prevention.

Joint clinics will offer expert child seat checks, identification of high-risk installations, tyre safety inspections including tread depth and pressure and practical pre-journey advice. This whole-vehicle safety model aligns with the UK’s Safe System approach. The partnership will be showcased at the TyreSafe National Briefing in June 2026 and the Road Safety GB National Conference in November 2026, where early findings and national rollout plans will be presented. By combining training, community engagement and hands-on checks, the programme provides one of the most scalable and effective interventions available to protect children on UK roads.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of Tyresafe, said, “This partnership with Good Egg Safety CIC represents a significant step forward in our shared ambition to reduce avoidable road casualties. By combining expertise in child seat safety with tyre safety checks, we are addressing two critical but often disconnected risk factors in a practical, evidence-led way. The planned pilot in Bradford, followed by national rollout, will allow us to better understand real-world vehicle safety issues and intervene directly with families at the point of need. Working together in this way strengthens the Safe System approach and has the potential to make a measurable difference in saving lives and reducing incidents on UK roads.”

Janis James MBE, CEO, Good Egg Safety CIC, said, “For too long, road safety messaging has treated risks in isolation. In reality, a correctly fitted child seat cannot compensate for a vehicle that cannot stop safely – and safe tyres cannot protect a child who is incorrectly restrained. This partnership is about bringing those two critical elements together in a way that is practical, evidence-led and capable of saving lives at scale.”

Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board, said, “The fact that two thirds of children are at risk travelling in unsafe seats is deeply troubling. Being a nana myself, I made sure to make use of the Good Egg Safety service and I am very glad that I did. We have worked with them for a number of years to run child car seat checking events. I am pleased to say that another 50 sessions will be taking place over the coming months in West Yorkshire as part of our work to reduce road deaths and serious injury to zero by 2040.”

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) is set to publicly unveil new survey findings on 10 June at THE TIRE COLOGNE 2026, located in Hall 7.1 at booth C031 B038. The data reveals a European retreading industry in distress, with three-quarters of international survey respondents characterising the current situation as either critical or declining. Cheap new tyre imports are cited as the primary driver of mounting price pressure.

Conducted in spring 2026 among European tyre and retreading firms and experts, the survey aimed to assess real-world market conditions, success factors and political hurdles. Results show a deeply contradictory landscape: while retreading is acknowledged as a key circular economy technology for climate and resource protection, cheap imports, high energy costs and weak policy support are squeezing businesses. Nearly half of participants describe the industry as under severe pressure, with German players notably pessimistic, though a few see a growing market.

Respondents still see major potential through lower total cost of ownership, high casing quality and closer cooperation among fleets, retailers and retreaders. Cost-per-kilometre models, professional tyre management and transparent environmental, social and governance documentation are highlighted as crucial future strategies to prove economic and environmental benefits.

A strong political appeal emerged, with 88 percent of participants urging green procurement and more public funding. They call for binding sustainability criteria in public tenders, improved regulations and equal treatment of retreaded tyres in European ESG and taxonomy systems. France and Scandinavia are cited as models due to their eco-taxes and national circular economy collaborations. The full results will be discussed at AZuR’s event ‘The Future is retreaded!’ on 10 June at THE TIRE COLOGNE.

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Superteam Wheels, a prominent Chinese manufacturer of carbon fibre bicycle wheelsets, has introduced a new flagship carbon fibre wheelset, the Ultra SL SE, designed to resolve the performance trade-offs faced by road cyclists. Riders have long been forced to choose between lightweight designs lacking stiffness or rigid wheelsets too heavy for long distances. The new model integrates mature Chinese manufacturing with DT180 hubs, carbon spokes and aerodynamic optimisation for professional racing, training and casual riding.

Unlike single-function wheelsets, the Ultra SL SE is engineered for full-scenario adaptability. Weighing only 1,210 grammes, the wheelset achieves a lightweight breakthrough without compromising rigidity. The DT180 hubs enable direct power transmission for sprinting, climbing or cruising. The wheelset adapts seamlessly to flat roads, rolling terrain and climbs.

Compared to the classic H2 model, the Ultra SL SE brings three major upgrades: lighter weight, DT180 hubs and a redesigned circular rim. It retains H2’s stiffness and shark fin bionic aerodynamics. At 40 kmph, wind resistance drops by 17.62 percent.

The 51-millimetre front rim and 48-millimetre rear rim create a three-millimetre difference. The higher front rim enhances stability and resists crosswinds, while the lower rear rim reduces drag. This design balances controllability and aerodynamics.

Superteam selected DT180 hubs for their precision and low rolling resistance, combined with carbon spokes. The Ultra SL SE delivers professional race-level performance at a friendly cost, offering lightweight portability, rigid power transmission and all-scenario adaptability.

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