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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Continental played a decisive role in the world record achieved by Volkswagen's Mission Efficiency concept vehicle, supplying a specially developed concept tyre. During the drive, the near-production electric vehicle consumed just 7.51 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres including charging losses, or 6.89 kWh excluding them. The RID – Rekord-Institut für Deutschland certified the result on 24 August 2026, after a 1,278.36-km journey from Wolfsburg to Vienna under real-world conditions. The trip required only one charging stop and ended with 164 kilometres of remaining range.

The concept tyre achieves a rolling resistance of 4.9 kg per metric tonne, roughly 25 percent below the threshold for the EU tyre label's highest Class A rating. Because about one-fifth of an electric vehicle's propulsion energy is consumed by overcoming tyre rolling resistance, this reduction is a major factor in extending range. Tyres therefore directly influence energy consumption and the distance possible on a single battery charge.

(Photo: Volkswagen AG)

Rolling resistance arises because a tyre deforms each time it contacts the road during every revolution. That deformation draws energy otherwise used for propulsion, and around 20 percent of an electric vehicle's battery energy is spent merely to overcome this effect. Continental's concept tyre builds on the EcoContact 7, a production tyre already known for exceptionally low rolling resistance.

For the record drive, the tyre was modified to Volkswagen's specifications, producing a design that deforms even less as it rolls, cutting energy consumption further and increasing range per charge. Two elements proved especially important. The sidewall follows the same design principle used in the EcoContact 7, delivering stability without raising rolling resistance. Meanwhile, the tread compound was specially tailored to the tyre's other components, working alongside the carcass and tread pattern to minimise energy losses.

(Photo: Volkswagen AG)

An additional advantage came from a new manufacturing process. During production, the initially soft green tyre is hardened in a mould under heat and pressure through vulcanisation, but Continental did not heat it uniformly as in conventional production. Instead, different areas were exposed to different temperatures, with the tread cured differently from the sidewall. This allowed each zone's properties to be optimised more precisely, resulting in even lower rolling resistance for the tread.

Rolling noise also shaped the tyre's development, and its tread pattern was specifically designed to achieve particularly low noise levels. Engineers varied the spacing and angles of the tread blocks so that the noises they generate partially overlap and cancel each other out, following a principle similar to noise-cancelling headphones. For the Mission Efficiency vehicle, this means the tyre improves efficiency while also ensuring a notably quiet driving experience, an aspect of growing importance because tyre noise becomes far more noticeable without an internal combustion engine.

The ID. Polo production car on which the Mission Efficiency is based already comes fitted with Continental's EcoContact 7 as standard, but the record project took the two companies further. Continental developed the tyre in close collaboration with Volkswagen's vehicle and aerodynamics engineers from a very early stage. The collaboration extended into the vehicle's design, with the tyre's colour-accented sidewall incorporating styling elements from the concept.

During the record drive, the vehicle set three benchmarks: the world's most aerodynamic near-production vehicle with a drag coefficient of 0.158, the most efficient four-seat electric vehicle in its class in a single controlled drive and the most economical near-production four-seat electric vehicle on an officially documented long-distance real-world drive. Largely based on production components from the ID. Polo, including its battery and drivetrain, the Mission Efficiency demonstrates the efficiency gains possible through targeted improvements to existing electric-vehicle technologies.

Dr Christian Strübel, Continental’s expert in rolling resistance for passenger-car tyres, said, “The record shows that increasing the range of electric cars does not necessarily require larger batteries. Significant opportunities lie in the successful interaction of all vehicle components. Tyres make a crucial contribution. Together with Volkswagen, we’ve demonstrated what’s possible when vehicle, aerodynamics and tyre development are aligned from the very beginning.”

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Liberty Tire Recycling has announced that its employees, business partners and supporters raised USD 195,000 in 2026 for Blessings in a Backpack, a national nonprofit providing weekend food to school-aged children facing hunger. The announcement coincided with National Childhood Hunger Awareness Day and World Food Day, marking the third consecutive year of the company's partnership with the organisation.

Funds were generated through the Liberty Cares Charity Golf Tournament and contributions from partners. The collaboration originated from employee feedback, as workers expressed a desire to support a cause addressing both children's needs and hunger – two areas Blessings in a Backpack serves.

Thomas Womble, CEO, Liberty, and Charlie Alutto, Chair of the Board, at the 2026 Liberty Cares Charity Golf Tournament.

In late October, employees at five locations – Santa Fe Springs, California; Midlothian, Texas; Minerva, Ohio; Jackson, Georgia; and Portland, Oregon – will pack 6,500 weekend meal bags for local programmes. Additionally, staff companywide will create handwritten notes of encouragement for the bags. Liberty previously raised USD 87,805 in 2024 and USD 132,785 in 2025, bringing its three-year total to over USD 415,000.

Liberty employees in Oregon write notecards for Blessings In A Backpack.

Thomas Womble, CEO, Liberty Tire Recycling, said, “In three years, we have raised over USD 400,000 and packed more than 16,000 food packs for kids in need. This is only possible with the employees at Liberty giving their time and effort to this project, and customers and partners committing their time and resources. Thank you to everyone who made this possible – I am proud to be part of this team.”

Alexis Hartman, Manager of Corporate Partnerships, Midwest, Blessings in a Backpack, said, "Thanks to the generosity of Liberty, their leadership, customers and employees as well as the outings’ donors and sponsors, over USD 195,000 was raised this year to benefit the mission and work of Blessings in a Backpack. We couldn’t be more grateful to the entire Liberty community for the care, compassion and kindness provided year after year to support children in need of our services. Thank you from the bottom of our backpacks!”

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Hankook Tire marked a significant design milestone on 15 October at the Capitol Theatre in Singapore, where the company was honoured during the Red Dot Award 2026 ceremony for Design Concept. The tyre manufacturer celebrated two Best of the Best accolades, with design team members present to represent the winning projects.

The recognition stemmed from the competition’s Design Concept category, where Hankook secured two top honours and four Winner awards. The winning entries, announced in August, included the i-Flex Gen 2, an airless concept tyre, and Medi Buddy, a futuristic medical mobility design. The i-Flex Gen 2 represents an evolution of the company’s airless tire research since 2015, introducing an industry-first circumferential spoke structure that improves low-noise performance and driving stability while enhancing visual appeal for future electric and autonomous vehicles.

Medi Buddy emerged from an industry-academic partnership with Korea Design Membership Plus, a student talent programme managed by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion. Operating under the Mobile AI 2030 theme, the concept combines autonomous driving and artificial intelligence into an interactive smart IV system aimed at engaging hospitalised children, reducing their fear of hospitals and offering emotional comfort.

The award-winning concepts will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore. The Red Dot Design Award ranks among the world’s three major design honours, alongside Germany’s iF Design Award and the US-based International Design Excellence Awards. Hankook previously became the first Korean company to earn the Red Dot Luminary honour in 2015, followed by the tyre industry’s first iF Gold Award in 2016 and an IDEA Bronze Award in 2017, completing a sweep of the top three global design awards.

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The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) reported in Frankfurt am Main that used tyre disposal and recycling firms continue to face substantial shortages of used tyres, undermining a secure supply of secondary raw materials essential to a resilient and sustainable circular economy.

According to wdk Technical Director Stephan Rau, roughly 84,000 tonnes of used tyres were unaccounted for last year. These, and potentially far larger volumes, are suspected to have been exported outside the EU for incineration or pyrolysis under dire health and environmental conditions, removing them from German recyclers and the circular economy.

Although the loss rate has edged downward, the association argues that systematically recording waste tyres and their recycling pathways remains the most effective countermeasure. The wdk and allied organisations have urged this approach for years, describing it as easy to implement and capable of significantly strengthening the circular economy, provided political will emerges to support a functioning recycling system.

Rau also cited newly published statistics showing Germany generated 522,000 tonnes of waste tyres in 2025. Of that total, 210,000 tonnes became granules and rubber powder, now nearly triple the amount thermally recycled in the cement industry – a development the wdk called strongly positive, while noting that comprehensive quantity recording could enable substantially more tyres to be recycled.

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