Continental Tire the Americas has appointed Ashok Vedanayagam as the new Head of Marketing for its passenger and truck tyre business in the Americas.

Vedanayagam will oversee various marketing functions, including product management, communications, public relations, e-business, market intelligence, pricing and strategic planning.

With Vedanayagam’s appointment, Continental aims to strengthen its leadership position in the Americas and better align its marketing strategies with its customers’ evolving needs.

Vedanayagam brings over two decades of experience in the automotive and tyre industries. He joined Continental in 2014 and has held various executive roles, most recently as Key Account Manager for Truck OEMs in the Americas. Prior to that, he led the Marketing function for the company’scompany’s Asia Pacific region.

“We are excited to have Ashok take on this pivotal role,” said Dr Jochen Etzel, Continental Tire the Americas CEO. “With his broad international experience and strong understanding of the industry, he will play a key role in enhancing the value we provide in the region. His ability to align our strategies with the evolving needs of our customers will further help us strengthen our leadership position in the Americas.”

Wee Kok Wah, aged 78, Founder & Senior Advisor of Stamford Tyres Group passed away on 21 October 2024.

He was instrumental in propelling Stamford Tyres Group to achieve growth and overseas expansion, as its Managing Director and President since the 1970s. Wah went on to steer the company to a public listing in 1991, and steadily expanded its business into a global international player in the distribution and retailing of tyres and wheels, and the manufacturing of wheels.

The Stamford Group’s veteran was highly-regarded in the tyre industry and the business world for his passion and in-depth knowledge of the tyre business gained him international recognition.

Wah stepped down from the Board of Stamford Tyres Corporation on 1 November 2021 as its Managing Director but stayed on as the Founder and Senior Advisor, providing invaluable guidance and counsel to the Board as well as to the senior management team.

On behalf of all staff of the Group, the Board expresses its deepest sorrow over the death of Wah and conveys its condolences to his family. The Board also expresses its heartfelt gratitude for Wah’s immense contributions to the Stamford Tyres Group and his dedicated service and unwavering commitment which has made a significant difference to the Group on the charting of its strategic directions and business.

Michelin, a leading tyre manufacturer has announced the winners of the Michelin AI Challenge, which it states is the first AI challenge in the sector.

The initiative was launched in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and Startup India, with an aim to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian AI startup ecosystem while exposing them to global best practices.

The award ceremony took place at IIT Delhi, with the presence of special guests Petros Sourmelis, Minister-Counsellor, Delegation of EU to India and Bhutan; Marie Khater, Deputy Head of the Regional Economic Department for India and South Asia, Embassy of France; Dr. Ambica Rajagopal, Michelin Group's Chief Data and AI Officer, and Shantanu Deshpande, MD, Michelin India.

From the 10 startups presenting their ideas Kogo.ai, Prophecy, and Zangoh.ai were recognised for their innovative contributions, learning opportunities to co-build on strategic projects and receive mentorship. 

The startups were evaluated by a team of Michelin’s AI data scientists, business leaders, product managers and developers. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed between Michelin and DPIIT, aimed at fostering sustained innovation and entrepreneurship, while creating an enabling environment for startups to thrive.

Dr. Ambica Rajagopal said " The Michelin AI Startup Challenge is designed to identify and support innovative startups to build solutions using AI agents, LLMs, computer vision, and robotics to enhance manufacturing, product quality, road and pedestrian safety, and how to use AI in a responsible, explainable and ethical way. By leveraging LLMs and generative AI, we are not just automating workflows but enabling intelligent agents to discover optimal paths of action through complex choices. These AI systems are now able to generate insights from distributed knowledge, linking structured and unstructured data to build deeper models of customer behaviour. The potential to unlock creativity and innovation has never been greater.”

Shantanu Deshpande said, “At Michelin, our commitment to India is reflected in our decision to establish our AI headquarters in Pune and in our continued partnership with the government through initiatives like the MoU signed with DPIIT. We believe in the power of collaboration, where our global expertise and mentorship, combined with the government's scale and vision, create a win-win scenario. We sincerely extend our gratitude to DPIIT for their invaluable support in making this challenge a success."

Petros Sourmelis stated, “The AI Challenge is a novel initiative of Michelin that aims to expand Data and AI capabilities and bring innovation to the forefront. That it has received more than 200 applications from startups across the country speaks volumes about the interest this program and its themes have generated. I hope this will give a huge spur to industry linked innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.”

Marie Khater said; “The work and activities engaged by Michelin in India embodies the profound and concrete partnership that our two countries have on digital technologies. Not only is Michelin an industrial group, one of the leaders in tyre manufacturing but the company is deeply engaged in innovation and R&D, particularly in the digital space. I am really looking forward to seeing how we can build on existing initiatives from French and Indian companies like this one to find synergies and strengthen our bilateral ties on innovation, notably in the perspective of the Indo-French year of innovation in 2026.”

The Michelin AI Challenge, was a 12-week-long initiative and undertaken in multiple stages which included, outreach, applications, shortlisting and mentorship until September 2024, followed by the grand finale featuring the shortlisted startups.

The challenge saw over 106 startups applying from all over the country; around 60 percent startups from tier 1 cities and tier 2 cities applied, showcasing diverse and innovative AI solutions.

The top ten AI innovators from the AI Startup Challenge presented their projects at the demo day at IIT Delhi. The three winning teams were awarded paid pilot projects from Michelin, with funding of up to INR 500,000 each. Furthermore, these winners will gain access to global contracts and incubation support from Michelin leadership.

DPIIT has been proactively working towards mobilising startups in the manufacturing space, and to provide them with early-stage support necessary for their growth. It is building an initiative to bridge the gap between industry and startups, by supporting with setting-up of incubators and incubation programs led by the industry. The initiative aims to empower manufacturing startups with innovative technologies and sustainable practices, enabling them to become leaders in the global market through incubation supported by the industry.

Linglong Tire has been recognised as one of Asia's top 500 brands in the 2024 "Asia's Top 500 Brands" annual report published by World Brand Lab. The company was selected for its outstanding performance and commitment to sustainable brand building.

The "Asia's Top 500 Brands" list evaluates brands based on market share, brand loyalty, Asian leadership, and other factors. The 2024 summit focused on the importance of sustainable brand building for companies competing in the global market.

Linglong Tire has been a leader in sustainable development for years, investing in technological innovation and social responsibility. The company has developed eco-friendly, high-performance tyre products that meet the quality and environmental standards demand. Linglong's commitment to employee well-being and corporate social responsibility has also been recognised.

The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has partnered Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to launch a country-wide tyre safety awareness initiative.

The partners state there is an urgent need to address tyre safety as part of the broader cause of road safety in India.

The campaign will educate motorists about proper tyre care and maintenance through free tyre health checks and direct engagement at Indian Oil retail outlets (ROs). The initiative will be spearheaded by the Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC), comprising technical experts from across the tyre industry.

The initiative was inaugurated at an Indian Oil retail outlet in South Delhi by Amit Kumar Khayalia, Divisional Retail Head, IOCL. Prominent leaders from the Tyre Industry, including V K Misra and Rajesh Dahiya, along with officials from ATMA, ITTAC, and service engineers from ATMA member companies, were present to mark the occasion.

The tyre safety drive follows extensive training programs conducted by ATMA at IOCL facilities across the country to educate fuel tanker drivers on tyre maintenance and safety. In the past year alone, over 1,000 commercial drivers connected to IOCL's supply chain have undergone training, significantly raising awareness about the critical role tyres play in road safety.

Rajesh Dahiya, Vice-President – Sales & Service, Apollo Tyres and Member of ATMA Managing Committee said, “Tyre safety is of paramount importance, as tyres are the only contact point between the vehicle and the road. Poor tyre maintenance is a serious road hazard. We are pleased to join hands with Indian Oil in this crucial campaign. This collaboration between ATMA and IOCL is expected to create a significant impact, starting with the Delhi NCR region and extending nationwide."

V K Misra, Technical Director, JK Tyre and Past Chairman, ITTAC added, “The partnership between ATMA and Indian Oil, one of India’s premier corporations, is a significant step forward towards making a difference to the road safety campaigns being held in the country. We look forward to significant improvement in awareness levels of motorists, especially with regard to tyre care and safety.”

As part of the campaign, tyre health checks will be provided free of charge, and motorists will be briefed on key aspects of tyre safety, including maintaining the correct inflation pressure and identifying Tread Wear Indicators (TWI). TWI is present in all tyres for easily identifying tread depth and replacing worn out tyres within time so as to prevent accidents. Besides direct interaction with vehicle owners, informative booklets have been designed for distribution.

ATMA states that tyre care often does not receive the attention it deserves. Properly maintained tyres are crucial for vehicle safety, as they bear the entire weight of the vehicle and ensure safe contact with the road.

ATMA member companies, including Apollo, Bridgestone, CEAT, Goodyear, JK Tyre and MRF, have been actively participating in such tyre safety awareness campaigns organised by ATMA and ITTAC across India.