Alliance Tire Group has been renamed as Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT).
Yokohama Rubber had announced in October 2020 that it will consolidate its various off-highway businesses into one single entity- YOHT.
This includes Yokohama’s off-the-road (OTR) tyre businesses across the globe and Alliance Tire Group (ATG) with its tyre brands Alliance, Galaxy and Primex, which Yokohama bought four years ago.
YOHT today released a new corporate identity, a new corporate logo, that draws on the 100 years plus the legacy of Yokohama while underlining its own distinct space in the Off-Highway segment. As a result, the current trademark of ATG will cease to exist from January 1, 2021, globally.
The ATG website will now be migrated to www.yokohama-oht.com. Similar changes are being done for the apps and will be available on Google and Apple app stores.
The new identity will start reflecting on all communications through the year 2021 on all digital and print platforms.
Nitin Mantri, Director YOHT America, said, “The consolidation of OHT businesses announced earlier will be strongly supported by the new identity of YOHT globally. This will result in closer integration of the brand equity and technological expertise of Yokohama with the strengths of companies grouped under ATG; namely – strong sales network, diverse product line up and superior cost competitiveness. This rebranding exercise collectively reflects our successful past while embracing future aspirations. We are excited to showcase this corporate identity to our stakeholders across the globe.”
YOHT will have a global footprint with the leadership team based in Tokyo, Boston, Amsterdam and Mumbai. The new unified global entity will offer a full-range of OHT tyres from small forklift tyres to ultra-large ROTR (radial off-the-road) tyres, to meet a wide range of customer needs for construction and industrial vehicles as well as agricultural and forestry machinery.
YOHT will be supported by Yokohama Group’s global off-highway tyre production network of eight plants in four countries and three R&D facilities in Japan, India and USA.
IRI-CON’26 To Focus On Sustainability Agenda For India’s Tyre And Rubber Industry
- By TT News
- January 02, 2026
The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI), a not-for-profit professional body focussing on the tyre and rubber industry, is set to host ‘IRI-CON’26’, a two-day conference aimed at addressing the sector’s evolving technological and sustainability priorities.
The event scheduled on 30th January 2026, will be held in Vadodara, Gujarat, underscoring the state’s growing importance as a hub for elastomers and rubber-related manufacturing.
Led by eminent technocrats and industry leaders, IRI has played a pivotal role for decades in advancing technical education, skill development and professional excellence across the tyre and rubber value chain. A large proportion of technical professionals in these industries are lifetime members of the institute, contributing through voluntary service, knowledge sharing and technical engagement.
IRI has also been instrumental in training candidates for the DIRI and PGDIRI programmes, with examinations conducted by IIT Kharagpur since their inception.
The choice of Gujarat as the host state is significant. The region is home to major tyre manufacturers including Apollo Tyres, CEAT, BKT, MRF and JK Tyre, alongside key suppliers of carbon black, silica, textiles and rubber chemicals. Vadodara, in particular, has emerged as an important centre for rubber and allied industries, making it a strategic venue for the conference.
The theme of IRI-CON’26, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Developments in Rubber and Allied Industries,’ reflects the industry’s increasing focus on sustainability, resource efficiency and responsible manufacturing. The conference is expected to bring together professionals from manufacturing, R&D, academia and allied sectors, offering a platform for technical exchange, collaboration and dialogue on future-ready solutions.
With regulatory pressures, material innovations and environmental expectations reshaping the sector, IRI-CON’26 is positioned as a timely forum to align industry stakeholders on sustainable growth pathways for India’s tyre and rubber ecosystem.
Indian Rubber Institute Appoints Industry Veteran Vijay K Misra As Chairman
- By TT News
- December 30, 2025
The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI) has confirmed Vijay K Misra as its new Chairman following a formal election. With a distinguished career spanning nearly 50 years in the tyre and rubber sector, Misra possesses extensive expertise in technology, product development, international collaborations and major greenfield projects.
His deep industry connections and proven leadership are anticipated to steer the IRI through its next period of growth and enhanced impact. The Institute also formally acknowledged Misra's pivotal role in founding the Dr D Banerjee Centre of Excellence in Mysuru, a premier hub for advanced training and industry-academia synergy.
Concurrently, sincere appreciation was extended to outgoing Chairman Dr R Mukhopadhyay for his valuable guidance, as he continues to support the Institute in the role of Chairman Emeritus.
Sumitomo Rubber Restructures Top Management
- By TT News
- December 26, 2025
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has announced that its Board of Directors has approved a forthcoming change to its representative leadership at a meeting on 25 December 2025, pending formal ratification at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for 26 March 2026.
The shift is part of a planned reorganisation of the company’s management framework effective from that date. Under the new structure, current Director and Senior Executive Officer Yasuaki Kuniyasu is slated to be appointed as the new Representative Director, President and CEO. Concurrently, the present President and CEO, Satoru Yamamoto, is expected to transition to the role of Representative Director and Chairperson of the Board.
Yasuaki Kuniyasu, aged 56, began his career with the company in April 1992. His tenure includes significant leadership roles, such as General Manager of the Tyre Technology Headquarters and, from January 2023, General Manager of the Corporate Management Planning & Administration Department. He has served as a Director and Senior Executive Officer since March 2023 and held 8,400 shares in the company as of 30 June 2025.
This planned succession aims to establish a renewed executive team to guide the company forward under its new governance model.
Back-To-Back CDP 'A' Rating Cements Hankook Tire's ESG Leadership
- By TT News
- December 26, 2025
Hankook Tire has secured a top-tier ‘A’ rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in Climate Change category for the second year in a row, affirming its status as a global leader in environmental stewardship. The CDP assessment is among the world’s most authoritative benchmarks for corporate sustainability, evaluating governance, emissions reduction and transparency. Hankook’s achievement reflects its comprehensive approach to managing climate impacts throughout its entire value chain, from raw materials to end-of-life tyre management.
This recognition is underpinned by a robust, long-term strategy targeting net-zero emissions by 2050. In 2023, the company’s near-term 2030 goals and its 2050 net-zero ambition were formally validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Governance is central to this progress, with a dedicated Board-level Climate Change Committee ensuring climate risks and opportunities are integrated into core business decisions and that reduction progress is meticulously tracked and disclosed.
Operationally, Hankook is transforming its global production towards sustainable systems. It pioneered the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS in the tyre industry at its Geumsan Plant in 2021, a milestone since extended to facilities in Hungary and Daejeon. This establishes a certified framework for manufacturing sustainable tyres across consumer, original equipment and motorsport segments.
Complementing these efforts, Hankook is driving material innovation through strategic partnerships. The company is collaborating with firms like ROTOBOOST and Solvay to develop next-generation, low-carbon materials such as turquoise hydrogen-based carbon black and circular silica. It is also engaging in national research consortia to scale promising carbon reduction technologies. These initiatives are part of Hankook’s broader circular economy vision, branded E.Circle, which focuses on reducing fossil fuel dependence, conserving natural resources and systematically cutting carbon emissions.
Hankook’s leadership has garnered significant external validation. It earned the highest environmental accreditation from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile and was named one of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024 by TIME and Statista. Together, these accomplishments demonstrate how Hankook Tire is embedding sustainability into its corporate identity to build long-term value and industry-wide resilience.
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