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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Nokian Tyres has named Timo Koponen as its incoming Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Management team. He is scheduled to assume the role by 15 April 2026 and will report directly to President and CEO Paolo Pompei. The company’s interim CFO, Jari Huuhtanen, who serves as VP of Group Business Control, will continue in that capacity until Koponen officially begins.

Koponen brings extensive financial and executive experience to Nokian Tyres, most recently serving as the CFO and a member of the Leadership Team at Normet, a prominent global provider of mining and tunnelling technology. His professional background includes a series of senior roles in finance and business leadership across several industrial corporations. Before his tenure at Normet, he held significant positions at Lamor Corporation, Wärtsilä, Hackman and Konecranes.

Koponen holds degrees in Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration. His appointment is part of Nokian Tyres' strategic leadership planning, ensuring a structured transition in its financial leadership.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “I am pleased to welcome Timo Koponen to Nokian Tyres. His extensive experience in finance and operations within publicly listed companies, combined with his leadership in international business and major transformations, will be a valuable asset as we move into the next stages of our development. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Jari Huuhtanen for his outstanding contribution as interim CFO and his role as a strong partner in our transformation. I look forward to continuing our journey together with Jari as a key leader within Timo’s team.”

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Magna Tyres Group has appointed Ruud Leijtens as the new Sales Manager for Scandinavia. In this position, he will dedicate his efforts to expanding the company's network across the Scandinavian region.

Leijtens will focus on building strong partnerships with customers and creating new opportunities for the brand. The company considers his experience and energy a valuable addition to the team and looks forward to strengthening its commercial activities in Scandinavia with him on board to achieve its strategic goals for the market.

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The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI), a non-profit professional body focussing on the tyre and rubber industry, has officially announced its flagship biennial conference, ‘IRI-CON’26’. IRI Gujarat and Rajasthan Branch have jointly organised the event. 

Scheduled to take place on 30th and 31st January 2026 at the Hotel Sayaji in Vadodara, Gujarat, the event serves as a critical junction for technocrats, researchers, and industry leaders to navigate the sector's rapidly evolving technological and sustainability priorities.

The choice of Vadodara as the host city underscores Gujarat’s status as a formidable powerhouse for elastomers and rubber manufacturing. The region serves as a strategic base for global and domestic tyre giants, including Apollo Tyres, CEAT, BKT, MRF and JK Tyre & Industries, while hosting a robust network of suppliers specialising in carbon black, silica, textiles and rubber chemicals. 

IRI-CON' 26' is supported by Ravi Enterprises, Kobelco Industrial Machinery India, Panama Petrochem, Pukhraj Additives and Beakert Industries as Platinum sponsors. Rajsha Chemicals, Madhu Silica, Balkrishna Industries and Madura Industrial Textiles are the Gold sponsors. On the other hand, Singh Plasticisers and Resins, Raj Petro Specialties, Nynas Napthenics, OCCL, 20 Micros, Sampann Utpadan India, ISRPL, Polyplas Global, Aksharchem India, Rubber King Tyre and Northwest Group are Silver Sponsors.

Lanxess India, Witnmans Industries, Epsilon Holdings, Kuraray India, Rubamin, Tinna Rubber and Infrastructure, Chem-Trend Chemicals, Dawsun Exim Corp, JK Tyre & Industries, Galaxy Chem & Machiner, Gujarat Bondchem and Silox India are the Bronze sponsors.

Lastly, MLA Industries, FINORCHEM, Tata Chemicals, Reliance Industries and DCM Shriram Chemicals are the Supporter for the event.

Against this backdrop, the conference theme – ‘Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Developments in Rubber and Allied Industries’ – reflects an urgent industry-wide commitment to resource efficiency, circular economy principles and responsible manufacturing.

High-Profile Inauguration and Strategic Vision

The conference will commence with a high-powered inaugural session dedicated to global trends and strategic updates. This session features a line-up of some of the most influential figures in the Indian rubber ecosystem. Dr Sujith Nair, Chairman, IRI Gujarat and VP R&D, CEAT, will deliver the welcome speech.

V K Misra, Chairman of IRI and representative of JK Tyres & Industries, will open the proceedings with a vision for the institute’s role in future-proofing the industry. He will be joined by Vasantagesan, IRS, Executive Director of the Rubber Board and Dr R Mukhopadhyay, who will provide a comprehensive overview of global sustainability trends.

Further technical leadership will be provided by Renji Issac, Chairman of ITTAC and representative of CEAT and P K Mohamed, Emeritus Chairman of IRI. The academic foundation of the event is bolstered by the presence of Prof. Dr Kinshuk Naskar from IIT Kharagpur – the institute's long-term partner for technical certification – and Prof. Dr Sabu Thomas of MG University, ensuring a seamless bridge between cutting-edge research and industrial application.

Innovations in Green Chemistry and Circularity

The event will also dive deep into technical breakthroughs that are reshaping the tyre value chain. A significant focus will be placed on ‘Green Tyres’ and the reduction of environmental footprints. Key presentations will feature Bekaert Industries discussing advanced cord solutions for weight reduction, and CEAT showcasing the CIRCL90, a sustainable passenger car tyre.

The shift toward a circular economy is a recurring theme throughout the technical sessions. Epsilon Carbon and Rathi Group India (Capital Carbon) will present on the integration of recovered carbon black (rCB) and the importance of ASTM standards in ensuring market momentum for recycled materials. Meanwhile, Brisil Green Silica and Tata Chemicals are set to discuss the revolutionary transition of producing sustainable silica from agricultural waste, a move that highlights the industry's move away from traditional, energy-intensive sourcing.

A Collaborative Ecosystem

The conference serves as a global stage for a diverse array of companies, including Arlanxeo India, which will present eco-friendly elastomer solutions and Finorchem, focusing on enhancing compound performance through phenolic resin-silica coupling. Other notable participants include LANXESS, TUV Rheinland and TTRC, covering everything from bio-based additives to water-based vulcanising cements and rigorous certification standards.

As regulatory pressures and environmental expectations continue to intensify, IRI-CON’26 stands as a timely and vital forum. By aligning manufacturers, R&D specialists, and academia, the event is positioned to chart a sustainable growth pathway for India’s tyre and rubber ecosystem, ensuring it remains competitive on the global stage while meeting the highest standards of environmental stewardship.

The event will also celebrate the next generation of industry talent with a Best Student Presentation Award Ceremony on the final day.

All-in-all the event is a must-attend for industry professionals, R&D specialists and academics in the tyre and rubber industry. To register click here

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As 2026 begins, Fornnax enters a decisive phase of its growth, seeking to scale its operations globally after years of investment in engineering, innovation and sustainable recycling.

“Our 2026 strategy is driven by four key priorities,” said Jignesh Kundaria, Director and Chief Executive of Fornnax.

The first priority is global expansion. The company plans to strengthen its presence in Europe, Australia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, while continuing to grow in existing markets. By aligning closely with local regulations and customer requirements, Fornnax aims to position itself as a long-term partner for advanced recycling solutions.

A central milestone will be export-led global installations. In 2026, the company plans to commission Europe’s highest-capacity shredding line, a project intended to reinforce its focus on high-capacity recycling systems.

The second priority is product innovation and technology leadership. Innovation, the company says, underpins its ambition to become a global leader in recycling technology by 2030. The focus remains on solutions that are efficient, reliable and environmentally responsible.

Building on more than a decade in tyre recycling, Fornnax has expanded into additional applications including municipal solid waste, e-waste, cable and aluminium recycling. Several large projects are scheduled to become operational this year, including the installation of India’s largest e-waste and cable recycling line and the commissioning of a high-capacity municipal solid waste RDF recycling line.

“Sustainable growth must be scalable and profitable,” Kundaria said. In 2026, Fornnax expects to complete phase one of its capacity expansion with the establishment of what it describes as the world’s largest shredding equipment manufacturing facility. The 23-acre site is scheduled for completion in July 2026 and is intended to expand production capacity and support global deliveries.

Alongside manufacturing expansion, the company plans further efficiency gains across its supply chain and service operations, while strengthening its service network in India, Australia and Europe to improve response times and customer support.

The final priority is people and culture. “People remain the foundation of Fornnax’s success. We will continue to invest in talent, leadership development, and a culture built on ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement,” Kundaria said.

With sustainability positioned as a core principle, the company says its objective is to grow while supporting the circular economy and contributing to a cleaner future. Management describes 2026 as a defining year, shaped by global installations, diversified recycling applications and manufacturing expansion.

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