With increasing technology and service-oriented approach and thrust on transparency in the pursuit of delivering service excellence towards the end-user, tyre dealers will evolve to be seen as providing the values expected of a specialist and not a generalist, says Satish Sharma, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) and Whole Time Director, Apollo Tyres. 

“In terms of the changes, we will see more transparency ushered in by the technology and change in mindset. The new generation is more data-oriented, so testing and other data will be asked. I believe the service aspect and data-oriented approach will get expanded. A ‘24x7 for 365 days’ kind of service availability will be seen. Retailers are still looked upon as generalists. More and more specialisation will be happening, as the tyre is an engineering product and you want the right quality, assurance and replacements. So, retailers will emerge as specialists. There are also some regulations, such as tyre labelling and end-of-life, coming in. I’m sure the tyre retailers will have a role to play in the regulatory changes that are happening. So, the evolutionary journey is happening in bits and pieces. But given that the change is speedy, we are hopeful that this is the direction we will go,” explains Sharma.

The Indian tyre retail business has witnessed tremendous changes in the recent past. Earlier, a tyre dealership business was not seen as an aspirational choice. Still, with the evolution of finance for commercial vehicle tyres, the emergence of passenger car and motorcycle tyres as a specialised business – which offers a lot from the service angle – is producing a new breed of entrepreneurs who see the tyre retail business as a vocational profession. 

“Today, we are seeing entrepreneurs who have gone from a single retail outlet to multiple retail outlets looking at the benefits of covering the geography. Many of them are also having multiple retail outlets with various brands. On the two-wheeler tyre side, the traditional tyre retail outlet is not able to cater to that market, but they are available at mechanical shops or even puncture shops. At some places where the scaling has happened, one has also seen the entry of some professionals,” adds Sharma.

Tyre service is also emerging as a source of revenue. Specialisations around fitment, alignment balancing, nitrogen filling and other services have generated a sizeable portion of revenues. As radialisation is happening in the commercial tyre segment, dealers are also expanding their business on highways.

New challenges are cropping up for dealers with the emergence of new business models, where tyre companies are catering to end-users directly through supplying tyres on rent or on a CPKM basis and selling on their own websites. However, Apollo Tyres prefers to keep its partners as an integral part of its new business models. Sharma explains, “Providing tyres as a service is happening in the commercial tyre segment, where few tyre companies go directly to the end-user. However, Apollo Tyres has never gone that route and does not believe in going that route. We sell and service only through our dealer partners, and that’s been our preferred choice. When we opt for new business models, we always take care of channel conflict in our organisation. Even if we have to provide services directly to the end-user, we will train our dealer partners to provide the services. That’s the way we handle it. And I believe that’s the right way to handle it. In the passenger tyre segment, many local dealers are selling tyres online with the help of e-commerce portals. That’s why you normally won’t find the desired product on these e-commerce portals, and it’s not a very efficient business as of now.

Apollo Tyres had launched an e-commerce portal, shop.apollotyres.com, for passenger car and two-wheeler tyre customers two years ago to cater to the online selling tyres business. With the portal, consumers can purchase their chosen tyres online and book an appointment with Apollo Tyres’ dealer nearest to their location to get the tyres fitted and serviced. The Indian tyre major also has a portal for commercial vehicle tyres. Consumers can directly buy tyres on the portal, but the commercial transactions are passed to the dealer servicing the customer’s needs. “However, this business model, again in its nascent stage, is not as if it’s put the world on fire. For e-commerce for tyres, there’s a long way to go, simply because the customer realises the quality of service you can actually get by going to the dealer counter and having a good relationship with a tyre specialist – because you need the services repeatedly. As the bouquet of services at a tyre dealer is increasing, you can go to a tyre dealer even for a puncture. If this business model takes off, we are already a foot inside the door,” adds Sharma.

Apollo Tyres will launch a digital experience centre to reach its targeted consumers widely. However, the company firmly believes that a real- life experience of the product better impacts the consumers. In line with this, it is making efforts to train its dealers, setting up a standardised format for its branded retail outlets such as Apollo Zones, Apollo Corner, Apollo Points and Apollo CV Zones. “With our branded retail outlets, we have changed the perception of a tyre shop from a dusty looking shop to a dust-free and air-conditioned outlet, where products can be browsed on digital screens. Products are placed so that one can touch and feel them. Our outlets are very friendly and gender-neutral to encourage women to purchase tyres independently. So, we engage our customers with products more meaningfully,” explains Sharma.

Apollo Tyres is also focusing on expanding its footprint in the rural area. With local entrepreneurs and service forces called rural experts, Apollo Tyres has around 4,500 touchpoints, including about 250 AVK/ ARD and more than 1,000 REDs , in the rural network at the start of FY21 . It also launched the ‘Apollo Tyres Sarpanch’ initiative in March 2021 to enable it to have the most comprehensive tyre distribution network in the rural segment. 

Apollo Tyres recently has launched its Vredestein brand in India. With the brand, the company will initially cater to the demand for tyres between 15 inches and 24 inches, which are generally needed for the luxury and executive premium segment. The company is also working with BMW to supply the Vredestein tyres for BMW 2 and BMW 7 series as OE fitment. “We are cherry-picking the business partners. To create awareness, we are associating ourselves with targeted communities and consumers. We are also engaging ourselves with golf tournaments and providing riding experiences on the F1 tracks,” adds Sharma.

In the tyre retail business, data will gain importance to generate new customers, retain older ones, serve them and manage the business more efficiently. However, dealers may be good at maintaining the balance sheets but they are yet to get hands-on with generating data on the best tyre models, sizes, brands and fast-moving inventories. As per Sharma, “Today, dealers have mistrust with the company manufacturers, and they don’t want to share their data on inventory, the movement, speed and velocity of the inventory at the same time. But as the dealers are getting more and more into digitalisation, they’re seeing the benefits of data. Their minds are also opening up. And so, it’s a journey which needs to be travelled.”

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Hankook Tire concluded Round 2 of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Sweden, on 15 February in the Umeå region, where its Winter i*Pike SR10W tyre was put to the ultimate test. As the championship’s sole rally tyre supplier, Hankook equipped all competing crews with this dedicated winter tyre, which features specially engineered ice-rally stud pins. Designed to conquer the most severe icy environments, its asymmetric tread pattern works in tandem with the studs to provide exceptional grip, powerful braking and unwavering high-speed stability on frozen surfaces.

Rally Sweden, first held in 1950, is unique on the calendar as the only event contested entirely on snow and ice. Crews were challenged by 18 special stages covering around 300 kilometres, with competition intensified by speeds reaching up to 200 kmph and rapid temperature fluctuations. These punishing conditions demanded precise car control, reliable tyre traction and steadfast braking performance, making the choice of the Winter i*Pike SR10W critical for success.

Following a fierce contest, Toyota GAZOO Racing’s Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin claimed victory by a margin of 14.3 seconds, securing their second consecutive win in Sweden. Having also finished second in the season opener at Rallye Monte-Carlo, this result propelled the pairing to the top of the championship standings with 60 points.

The WRC now turns its attention to the formidable Safari Rally Kenya, scheduled for 12 to 15 March 2026 near Naivasha. This event is renowned as one of the most gruelling on the circuit, where crews must navigate extreme heat, mud from heavy rainfall and rapidly changing weather.

Hankook’s commitment to the sport extends beyond event supply. The company continues to refine its high-performance rally technology through intensive collaboration with the FIA and major automotive manufacturers, having completed over 2,000 kilometres of real-vehicle testing across eight countries. With its exclusive tyre supply agreement for all WRC classes covering the 2025 to 2027 seasons, Hankook is reinforcing its premium brand identity and solidifying its leadership in motorsport engineering.

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Ecolomondo Corporation, a leading Canadian innovator in sustainable scrap tyre recycling technology, has appointed Craft Capital Management, LLC as its strategic investment banking advisor. This partnership is designed to bolster Ecolomondo’s capital markets strategy, with a focus on financing initiatives and a planned uplisting to the NASDAQ. Securing this position is a key step for the company to obtain the necessary capital for its global expansion.

Eliot Sorella, Ecolomondo’s Executive Chairman, highlighted that Craft Capital’s successful history of providing capital solutions is well-aligned with the company's goal to scale up as a major supplier of recovered carbon black and tyre pyrolysis oil. These materials are produced using Ecolomondo’s proprietary Thermal Decomposition Process. As worldwide demand for circular and sustainable materials grows, this advisory engagement is seen as a vital move to advance the company's market position and support its next growth phase.

Craft Capital, a full-service brokerage firm with over a century of combined financial experience, offers customised investment banking services and connects clients to a broad network of family offices and institutional investors.

Sorella said, “Craft Capital’s proven track record in delivering capital solutions aligns strongly with our strategy to scale as a leading producer of recovered carbon black (rCB) and tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO) using Ecolomondo’s proprietary Thermal Decomposition Process (TDP). As global industries accelerate their transition towards circular and sustainable materials, this engagement is an important step in advancing our capital markets strategy and supporting our next phase of growth.”

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Continental is set to make a significant impact at the upcoming Tire Technology Expo in Hannover with a strong presence at the technical conference scheduled for 3 March 2026. The company will kick off the event with a major presentation centred on the evolution of tyre technologies designed to meet the demands of autonomous driving. Dr Andreas Topp, who leads Platform Development and Industrialisation for passenger car tyres at Continental, will illustrate how the vision of autonomous vehicles is transitioning into everyday reality and how the tyre manufacturer is proactively developing innovative solutions to support this shift.

In addition to the opening session, Continental experts will deliver three further presentations, each addressing critical areas of tyre science and environmental regulation. One of these will explore the use of recovered carbon black derived from end-of-life tyres as a filler material. Professor Jorge Lacayo-Pineda, a specialist in materials evaluation, will delve into the complexities of identifying this material within vulcanised rubber compounds. Recovered carbon black, primarily obtained through pyrolysis, represents a milestone as the first industrially scalable filler sourced from discarded tyres. It is not considered a direct substitute for conventional carbon black but rather a distinct category of filler due to its unique composition, which includes carbon residues and a specific thermal background. Professor Lacayo-Pineda will examine the technological and regulatory possibilities that arise from detecting this material in new tyre compounds, focusing on reliable identification techniques such as electron microscopy and molecular spectroscopy.

Another key presentation will broaden the conversation around tyre emissions. Dr Frank Schmerwitz, a senior test engineer specialising in tyre wear, will address the limitations of current discussions that predominantly focus on tyre and road wear particles. He will highlight additional pathways of mass loss that are not captured by conventional measurements. His talk will consider the release of nanoparticles, the persistence of wear residue on road surfaces and the chemical degradation of this material due to environmental factors like oxygen and ultraviolet light, aiming for a more complete scientific picture.

The final presentation will tackle the complexities of modern tyre development in the context of new regulatory frameworks. Dr Pavel Ignatyev, an expert in rubber friction and wear physics, will discuss how the introduction of standardised abrasion limits and measurement methods under the Euro 7 regulation is reshaping innovation in the industry. He will explain the various parameters influencing tyre wear and how they interact with these new requirements. Through simplified models, he intends to demonstrate the intricate nature of tyre wear and outline the collective challenges that remain for the industry, emphasising that a deep understanding of these dynamics is crucial for translating regulatory mandates into effective technological advancements.

Dr Topp said, “The future of self-driving vehicles has begun. We are developing tyre technologies and products that meet the unique technical requirements of these vehicles. This includes topics such as interaction with smart vehicle dynamic controls, optimised fleet operations and tailored solutions for specific use profiles.”

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The concluding day of 2026 F1 Pre-Season Testing at the Bahrain International Circuit saw Charles Leclerc set the overall fastest lap of the entire six-day programme. The Ferrari driver delivered a time of 1:31.992s on the C4 compound Pirelli tyres during the final hour of running, improving by eight-tenths of a second on the previous benchmark established by Kimi Antonelli. This performance placed him ahead of Lando Norris in the McLaren, who recorded a 1:32.871s on the C3 tyre. Max Verstappen and George Russell followed, with times of 1:33.109s and 1:33.197s, respectively, both also set on the C3 compound. Notably, none surpassed Leclerc's own leading time on that particular compound, a 1:32.655s. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top times, utilising the softest C5 tyres to post a 1:33.421s.

The C5 compound saw limited use on the final day, employed only by Alpine and Williams for short-run simulations. Aston Martin, despite having the tyre available, opted not to run it and instead completed just six laps on C3s before their session was curtailed. In contrast, teams focused on different aspects of performance. Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvin Lindblad set the pace on the harder C1 and C2 compounds, respectively. The day was also notable for the absence of several drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon, who did not participate in any track action.

Beyond outright speed, teams dedicated significant effort to long-distance evaluation. Gabriel Bortoleto completed 25 laps on the C2 compound for Audi, while Esteban Ocon undertook 24 laps on C1s for Haas. Ocon was also the sole driver to run intermediate tyres, completing four laps to assess front wing behaviour. Over the entire six-day test, a total of 41,366 kilometres were covered across all 11 teams, a distance exceeding the Earth's circumference. The C3 compound proved the most popular, accounting for 61 percent of all laps. In total, 591 sets of slick tyres were utilised throughout the pre-season, with 326 of those deployed in the final three days alone.

Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, said, “The radical changes introduced to the cars have inevitably shifted the teams’ focus towards power units and aerodynamics rather than tyres over the last few days. The final stages of testing are usually dedicated to optimising the car-tyre package, but it is clear some teams haven’t reached that point yet. Generally speaking, track feedback has been consistent with our simulation expectations. Drivers were able to gain confidence with the entire Pirelli range through both performance trials and long runs, even using the C4 and C5 compounds which aren’t particularly suited to a circuit like Sakhir.

“Mechanical resistance appeared strong across all options, with no signs of graining or blistering. Degradation levels are almost certainly higher now than what we expect for the Bahrain race, when temperatures will be lower and cars more developed. A central theme this season will certainly be balancing temperatures between the axles, especially ahead of the first race in Melbourne. The lower loads of a street circuit might require more intensive tyre preparation or differentiated tyre blanket temperatures, particularly in qualifying. In any case, it will be interesting to discover in Australia how much teams have been ‘sandbagging’ their engine power to avoid showing their hand. We only have to wait a couple of weeks to see the true pecking order.”

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