The bicycle industry has seen an exponential demand, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. With an increase in commodity prices and new players entering the industry, every manufacturer has to be as efficient as possible to make its bicycle stand out in the market. We talk to Scott Sports India on making its place in the Indian market, the impact of the pandemic and investing in its customers. 

The increase in the purchasing power of consumers in developing nations like India, Mexico and Malaysia is anticipated to be the utmost driver for the bicycle market in the years to come. Also, according to a recent study, the global bicycles market is expected to reach USD 78 billion by 2026, especially with so many bicycle players making their way into the market.

One such company is Scott Sports, a Swiss producer of bicycles, winter equipment, motorsports gear and sportswear, which has also made its place in India. Working towards the development, manufacturing, sales and marketing of high-end performance products intended for biking, the company’s agenda is to get more and more people out on bicycles, cycling outdoors. When the company started off in India, a large part of its customers was, in fact, people from the IT sector. These people had travelled across the world on projects, realising that there is a lifestyle that one can have and that there are bikes that one can buy which actually cater to this lifestyle, giving one a better riding experience. However, as time has gone by, the company has had customers right from a 12- or 13-year-old kid to an 85-year-old gentleman, ever since it started its journey in India in 2012. It currently has about 110 outlets and with the Avanti Giro FM1 brand coming in, it is planning to add another 150 outlets in the next 12 months. 

Bikes suitable for anyone and everyone

Scott Sports introduced Avanti Giro FM1 from New Zealand recently in India, making it suitable for southern hemisphere countries. “In the southern hemisphere, largely, there exists a lot of commute and price-sensitive customers, from India to South Africa to Brazil to Australia etc.,” says Jaymin Shah, Managing Director, Scott Sports India, and continues, “That entire belt of countries consists of sports, but at the same time, is very sensitive to price. Therefore, at the end of the day, they want products that are designed for a particular reason, that can do the work and don’t burn a big hole in their pockets. This is why we launched the Avanti brand, which also lets us reach out to a bigger target audience that is India.”

But introducing a bike for the southern hemisphere is not the company’s only unique element. Scott Sports, till it entered the business, realised that bicycles are available in a one-size-fits-all kind of a category. What Scott Sports did was get the same bicycle in different frame sizes. “Just the way you can buy a shirt in a small, medium, large or XL size, the same can be done with bicycles,” Shah reveals and adds, “This is a change that the Indian customer did not know about (about a decade back).”

Another element that Scott Sports focuses on is called ‘bike fit’. Shah explains, “Bike fit is a concept where one can customise the dimensions on one’s bike. The frame size remains the same, but it has a different leg length, torso length and so on.”

Shah further informs, “We have a system and a software, along with a German partner, where the system scans your body and makes recommendations as per the model you want to select.”

A broken helmet is a good helmet

Customisation or no customisation, one factor that people surely look for in any vehicle, including bicycles, is safety. Catering to this need, we see many bicycle brands offering helmets or other safety features. Scott Sports’ bikes come equipped with reflectors, which are mandatory. “Along with this, we sell a lot of products as accessories, like helmets, reflector vests or even reflector stickers,” Shah asserts. Pointing out a very interesting aspect about helmets, he further tells us, “While the core idea of a helmet is to protect the bicycle rider, many people think that the helmet should not break when they crash. However, the fact is that if the helmet does not crack after a severe crash, then the helmet in question is of a sub-standard variety. A good helmet will crack. This is because the crack is what dissipates the fall and distributes the impact.”

Increase in commodity prices

Scott Sports is currently catering to three segments – lifestyle, commute and sports. Shah believes that the sports and lifestyle segments will see growth. “On the commute side, we have suddenly seen a drop in bicycles, only because cars are back on the streets,” he tells us.

As these segments see growth, prices too will be a factor of consideration. All of Scott Sports’ bicycles are made of alloy and carbon. However, general commodity prices, which include aluminium alloy etc., have seen an increase in price. From Scott’s perspective, the demand has not been impacted for one reason alone – the consumer/target audience not looking for the mass market. “They are looking for premium products,” Shah says and continues, “Only time will tell if this is sustainable or not, because a point may come where the consumer will say that he/she is not willing to pay beyond that price. Plus, global shipping rates have gone through the roof, i.e. by five times, which is huge. Scott has also increased the prices of its products in India from 1st April this year.” 

Shah goes on to mention that the government is doing all it can to cool off commodity prices. “However, I don’t think it all can be controlled by just one government measure. That’s because there are a lot of factors which are beyond our control, from the Russia-Ukraine war to the Covid situation. And this applies not just to India but the world,” he cites. 

One material is as durable as the other

On the material front, he clarifies that whether a bicycle is made of steel, alloy or carbon, the product is a durable one. What’s important is that it has to be maintained well. “The biggest difference between an alloy and a steel bike or an alloy and a carbon bike is the weight of the bicycle. Steel bicycles typically tend to be heavier than alloy bicycles and carbon bicycles tend to be lighter than alloy bicycles. One is as durable as the other,” he explains. 

Educating the customer and mechanics

With the customers’ demand and needs changing rapidly, educating them and making them aware becomes highly crucial. Scott Sports has some singular initiatives in this domain. For one, it has a customer helpline number that is not a sales helpline but simply a customer education helpline. “One can call the helpline and talk to our product specialists who will guide the customer through various factors,” Shah avers. 

Another initiative it has is ‘breakfast rides’ (conducted mainly pre-covid). “We used to conduct breakfast rides with small communities across the country, where our product specialists would address one topic,” Shah puts across and adds, “The topic could be with respect to customer education, bike maintenance, bike fit and would vary in every ride. Also, with everything sort of opening up post-covid, we will be restarting these breakfast rides.”

Scott Sports invests not just in its customers but in its mechanics as well. It runs ‘technical services’ meant for trade only and for all the mechanics. “Here, either our team would go out to a regional centre and call in the mechanics nearby or the mechanics would come to Mumbai,” Shah informs and adds, “This is something we used to do on a regular basis to sensitise the mechanics.”

Covid’s impact on business

Post the lockdown, Scott Sports has grown by 100 percent. “In that sense, it was a great year from a business perspective. However, we also realise that there is a lot of demand out there,” Shah shares. 

While it was a smooth-running chain pre-covid, each country had to be subject to its own lockdowns post-covid, as per their respective government’s measures. “So now, all our bikes come from Cambodia, but a lot of components come from Vietnam or Malaysia or Indonesia. It’s not just about putting a bicycle together – it’s about getting all the moving parts, from the tyres to tubes to suspensions, together. So, from that perspective, tying everything together from different parts of the world became a challenge for us,” Shah enlightens.

Challenges for the industry

With these challenges, we can’t remove the competition out of the equation, especially with new companies entering the market. Nonetheless, Shah claims that at the price-point and quality level where Scott Sports is, it is equivalent to a BMW or a Mercedes or an Audi today. “You can buy a product which is priced at INR 40,000 but also buy a Scott bike which is priced at INR 1 million,” he says and goes on, “The mass brands, we hear, are in over-stocked situations, which is also contributed by so many players entering the market. However, when one looks at the premium market – that we are targeting and have been historically present in – no overnight player can really come in and challenge us over there.”

However, there are other challenges to face. The Indian government’s restriction on import of tyres and tubes has impacted the bicycle owners the most, Shah believes. He asserts that there are local manufacturers for automobile tyres. However, on the bicycle front, with the level of quality required for international brands, the importers requiring such tyres are facing the biggest challenge. 

The next step

Scott Sports sold over 12,000 units during the financial year 2021-2022. Speaking of the company’s targets for the current fiscal, Shah tells us, “Our target is not more than 15,000 next year. This is essentially not a reflection of the demand but a reflection of how many bikes we can get into the country.”

Catering to every personalised requirement

The bicycle industry certainly is seeing tremendous demand and is evolving every day, especially where every consumer gets to choose a bike that suits him/her the best. This, of course, comes with its share of challenges for the industry and customers both. For a market like India, where customers can be price-sensitive and some also willing to invest in bicycles, making them aware goes a long way, catering to their every personalised requirement that they look for when purchasing a bicycle.

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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has elected David Cichocki, Managing Director, Americas, and chief sales officer, Americas Consumer, at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, to its board of directors.

“I’m pleased to welcome David to our Board. His extensive experience and expertise across the tire and consumer goods industries will be invaluable as we navigate today’s complex industry,” said Anne Forristall Luke, USTMA president and chief executive. “His proven leadership will strengthen our ability to seize emerging opportunities.”

Cichocki joined Goodyear in early 2026 and is responsible for overseeing the Americas region and leading the company’s Americas Consumer sales business.

He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across industrial and consumer goods companies to the USTMA board.

Before joining Goodyear, Cichocki served as senior vice-president of US sales at Whirlpool, where he managed a portfolio valued at more than $10bn across retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

He also spent more than 20 years at Kraft Foods and Nabisco in a range of senior leadership roles.

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The Indian rubber and tyre machinery industry is mourning the passing of Daljeet Niranjan Singh, Founder of Santosh Rubber Machinery Pvt Ltd, who passed away yesterday. A prayer meeting in his memory will be held on 23^rd May 2026 in Mumbai.

Singh was recognised as a pioneering entrepreneur and industry veteran who played a key role in developing India’s rubber processing machinery sector. Under his leadership, Santosh Rubber Machinery grew into one of the country’s well-known manufacturers of rubber processing equipment, serving customers across the tyre, rubber goods, and industrial manufacturing industries.

Established in 1966, Santosh Rubber Machinery has built a strong reputation for engineering excellence and a wide product portfolio covering rubber mixing mills, dispersion kneaders, extruders, calender machines, hydraulic presses, autoclaves, and tyre recycling systems. The Mumbai-based company operates a 36,000 sq ft manufacturing facility and offers one of the largest ranges of rubber processing machinery under a single roof in India.

The company also earned recognition for its export performance and engineering excellence. Santosh Rubber Machinery has won many export awards. Most recently, it was honoured with the 23rd Export Award for Excellence in Export for Machinery Manufacturing by the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), underlining its strong presence in international markets and longstanding contribution to the rubber machinery industry.

Industry associates remembered Singh as a visionary founder, respected mentor, and a man of integrity whose dedication and technical understanding helped shape Santosh Rubber Machinery’s growth over nearly six decades.

According to the family notice, the prayer meet will take place from 5 pm to 7 pm on 23 May 2026 at 1st Floor MPH, Tower A, Esquire by Oberoi Realty, Oberoi Garden City, Goregaon East, Mumbai.

He is survived by his family, loved ones and colleagues, who said his legacy and values will continue to inspire the industry for years to come.

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Apollo Tyres plans to invest INR 35 billion in FY2026-27, with nearly 80 percent of the capital expenditure earmarked for growth and capacity expansion projects across India and Europe, as the tyre maker seeks to meet strong demand despite escalating raw material costs and geopolitical disruption.

Most of the planned investment will be directed towards expanding truck and passenger car tyre capacity in India, while the remainder will support passenger car tyre expansion at the company’s Hungary plant.

Apollo Tyres said capacity utilisation across both India and Europe had reached about 90 percent, with demand remaining strong in replacement and original equipment markets. The company added that April volumes had continued to show strong momentum despite recent price increases.

The company reported consolidated revenue of INR 73.4 billion for the fourth quarter, up more than 14 percent year on year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation margin improved to 14.6 percent from 13 per cent a year earlier.

Revenue from Indian operations rose 14.3 percent to INR 52.4 billion during the quarter, supported by high-teen volume growth in both replacement and original equipment segments.

Neeraj Kanwar, Vice-Chairman And Managing Director, said geopolitical developments in West Asia continued to create uncertainty and volatility across raw material, energy and logistics costs.

The company expects raw material costs to rise by mid- to high-teens sequentially during the current quarter, led by a sharp increase in natural rubber prices. Apollo Tyres said natural rubber prices had risen to about INR 250 per kg from around INR 200 per kg during the fourth quarter.

To mitigate the pressure, Apollo Tyres has announced price increases of 6-8 percent across product categories in India during the current quarter and indicated that further increases may be necessary.

Gaurav Kumar, Chief Financial Officer, said the inflationary environment remained highly volatile.

“Mid to high teens is the current reality,” Kumar said. “We’ve taken about half the price increase that is needed.”

The company said it was also implementing cost-control measures across operations, including reductions in discretionary spending, as it sought to protect margins from higher commodity and logistics costs.

Apollo Tyres continues to restructure its European manufacturing operations as part of efforts to improve profitability. The company said the closure of its Enschede plant in the Netherlands remained on schedule, with production expected to cease by June 30.

Management said the decision was driven by persistently weak European market conditions, elevated energy costs and unusually high wage inflation in western Europe.

Apollo Tyres has taken a non-cash write-off of EUR 43 million related to the plant closure and expects total restructuring-related cash outflow, including social plan payments and legal costs, to exceed EUR 55m.

The company said the restructuring should begin improving European margins during the second half of FY2026-27 as production shifts towards lower-cost facilities in Hungary and India.

Apollo Tyres added that India and Europe would remain priority markets for future capacity allocation decisions, although export demand in some overseas markets had softened amid broader macroeconomic uncertainty.

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Linglong Tire has appointed Pradeep Karat as Sales Director OTR for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, effective from the beginning of May 2026.

Karat will oversee strategy and sales for the company’s specialty tyres division across the MEA region and report to Jeffrey Hughes, director EMEA. He will work with product and marketing teams to expand the group’s presence in the off-the-road (OTR) tyre segment, develop strategic partnerships and support growth in new markets.

Before joining Linglong, Karat worked at Hankook Tire, where he most recently served as senior manager for truck tyre sales in the Middle East and Africa.

Over a career spanning more than 30 years, he has held sales and marketing management roles at tyre manufacturers including Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental.

“I am very pleased to be part of the Linglong team with immediate effect and to start as Linglong Sales Director Middle East Africa. I will do everything I can to use my experience and expertise to successfully advance Linglong in the MEA region,” said Karat.

Linglong said Karat would focus on strengthening the company’s position in India and key African markets. He will also work closely with Sherif Degheidy, who joined the company in February.

“I have worked with Pradeep in the Middle East in the past and am very pleased that he is now joining Linglong to help us continue to grow our off-highway business,” Hughes said.

“He brings extensive knowledge of the region, knows how to find new distributors and build strong partnerships. Pradeep will seek to expand Linglong's presence in India as well as in key African markets.”

Karat holds a master’s degree in marketing and economics and speaks Arabic, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, in addition to English. He will be based in Dubai.

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