After being selected as ATMA Chairman, Satish Sharma, President (APMEA) & Whole Time Director, Apollo Tyres, has big plans for the automotive and tyre industries, from enhancing exports to self-sufficiency in Indian rubber. He shares his views on collaborations in the tyre industry, the challenges of the sector and the problem of India being used as a dumping ground. Read on…

How have your priorities changed ever since being selected as the ATMA chairman?
I was the ATMA chairman even four years ago, and this is my second tenure. In terms of priorities, I want to pick up from where I left. At that point, we had started this whole journey of improving our exports. In fact, I was on record to say that the tyre industry could be the poster boy for the Indian government.

Looking back, I’m very happy to see that the exports have improved rather well. And this is just the beginning; we could do much more. Therefore, one priority is to see how we enhance our exports significantly from where we stand today.

The second priority is that a lot of regulations are on the anvil for the vehicles and the tyres as well. So my idea would be to engage with all the stakeholders and get them fast paced rather than going about it in a slow manner. Plus, I would like to get all views on board, optimise them for the industry, the government and different stakeholders and get them rolling, working towards a seamless transition for the regulations and betterment of all the stakeholders.

As for my third priority, it is the self-sufficiency point of the Indian rubber. The Indian rubber is a key priority of the commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, to narrow the gap between domestic demand-supply of natural rubber, which is around 35 to 40 percent. Hence, some of us have come together at his behest and have contributed in monetary terms to help the rubber board to do serious plantations in the potential of the North East. That corpus has been formed and one year of it has gone by. The acronym is NEMITRA. It is a collaboration between the tyre industry and the rubber board, under the aegis and direction of the commerce ministry. So we are very hopeful that the work we put in is going to yield results and India will be able to narrow this deficit between production and consumption.

Speaking of production and consumption, are you seeing a revival in demand?
The demand recovery for tyres is always an organically growing demand. If you look at the GDP of the country, it’s rather sectoral and a K-shaped recovery. Therefore, some sectors associated with infrastructure, e-commerce or the real estate sector, etc. are doing very well. However, at the same time, there is very steep inflation, and there is a possibility or worry that this inflation might destroy demand. The entire supply chain has to pass through this inflation and, finally, it has to be borne by the consumer. Whether the consumer reduces consumption or continues to consume at the rate at which he/she was before is a bit of a worry. But so far, the demand is holding on at a broader level.

OEMs are reviving as the chip shortage is getting under control. We are seeing CVs – a cyclical business – at the beginning of its upcycle, which is good news for them. In PVs, the supply chain issues are getting eased off. Plus, the tractor sector is also reviving; with a good monsoon forecast, the rural economy should come back – maybe not to the same level from two years ago, but still reasonably good.

With the current world situation, from the Covid pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine war to high inflation rates, do you think there is a need for more collaborations between tyre companies?
Collaborations have to be there, but they have to be very finely defined. Collaborations can always be on larger subjects like sustainability or raw materials, where research work can be done, resulting in collaboration. So these are areas where a deeper collaboration will help the industry. But it cannot be used to tackle inflation – that has to be left to market forces.

What are the present challenges you see in the tyre industry that need to be addressed?
The organic challenges include preparing ourselves for electrification and the changing regulatory framework. However, the key challenge for the Indian tyre industry right now is inflation. Our balance sheet sizes have halved over the last year. Moreover, the profitability has reduced significantly. There is a significant phase lag to the cost push. Therefore, these key challenges are what we really need to take care of in the short-term.

There has been a ban on Chinese tyres. How is this impacting the Indian tyre industry?
All global tyre companies that have come in India are now producing their tyres in the country. And therefore, it is self-sufficient as far as tyres are concerned. So technically, imports are not required to that extent, from that point of view.

The problem comes about when we are used as a dumping ground and the economic value of everything that has been put into place gets destroyed. And moreover, the promise we have for the Indian industry is getting short-changed. So that’s the argument.

I was telling my industry colleague, whose company is entering the US market, to not go the wrong way. But, in fact, to go, set up and position the Indian product and brand name the right way and to not spoil the market and get branded as the next cheap manufacturer after China. Because if one does it that way, then he/she is going to spoil it for everyone.

And, truth is, we can really do it the right way. We do have a cost arbitrage. Hence, we can give a more honest price internationally and give tier 1 quality at a tier 2 price. However, if one were to position oneself at the bottom of the barrel, then it will spoil everything.

What is happening to recycling and renewable sources to make tyres? How are things shaping up in India?
One regulation is on the anvil, which is the extended producer responsibility. It is in the draft stage and we are in discussion with the government. Fortunately, by the nature of our country, there is a self-recyclability of any and all products. Of course, this is in the unorganised segment, and we don’t talk or hear about it. But we have seen tyres being sold to make something as useful as slippers. So it finds its own value.

But there are no satellite pictures available in India showing dumps and dumps of used tyres lying anywhere; you will find that in the Middle East. But the government is organising this whole thing, and we have the extended producer responsibility coming – it will have a far higher recyclability and will focus more on renewable energy and getting green raw materials. Plus, it will prioritise the increase in the usage of recycled tyre parts.   

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Yokohama Europe has appointed Giuseppe La Iacona to a series of senior leadership roles as the company seeks to strengthen its position across the region.

La Iacona joined the business on September 15 and will assume responsibility for supporting growth and organisational consolidation in the European market.

He brings more than 20 years’ experience in the tyre industry, spanning sales, marketing, business development, country management and international customer relations. He has held senior roles across several European markets, developing experience in managing local dynamics while driving cross-border business expansion.

Reporting to Takashi Maki, La Iacona has been appointed General Manager for southern Europe, where he will lead a newly created regional cluster covering Italy and France. The role is intended to improve coordination and operational synergies between the two markets.

He will also serve as Chief Executive of Yokohama Italia, with overall responsibility for the Italian subsidiary, alongside taking on the role of head of international customers. In that capacity, he will oversee the management and development of clients operating across multiple European markets, with the aim of creating a more consistent commercial approach and strengthening collaboration between subsidiaries.

His remit includes improving organisational alignment and fostering closer cooperation between markets and customers as the company expands its European operations.

“I am very pleased to welcome Giuseppe to YOKOHAMA Europe at an important stage in our development,” said Maki. “His extensive international experience, deep knowledge of the tyre industry and ability to work across different markets will be valuable assets as we continue to strengthen our European organisation and pursue sustainable growth.”

La Iacona said: “I am excited to join YOKOHAMA Europe and to contribute to the company’s next phase of growth in Europe. YOKOHAMA has a strong heritage, a distinctive brand and significant opportunities across the European market. I look forward to working closely with our teams, customers and partners across countries to further develop the business and strengthen our presence in the region.”

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Özka Tyre, a prominent Turkish manufacturer of tyres for agricultural and construction equipment, has reinforced its leadership team as part of a broader push towards global expansion and technological modernisation in production. The company has appointed Mehmet Yüksel as its new Chief Operating Officer, bringing aboard an executive with extensive senior experience from Goodyear’s Luxembourg-based international organisation.

In his new role, Yüksel will oversee functions central to Özka’s production and operational strength. His responsibilities encompass production, quality, research and development, planning, investment and projects, electricity and maintenance, occupational safety and quality management systems, positioning him to steer critical areas of the company’s industrial performance.

Driven by investments and a focus on advancing its manufacturing strength, Özka continuously monitors shifts in the worldwide tire sector, particularly technological progress in Europe, and uses those insights to shape its future production infrastructure. As new investments prepare to elevate its output capacity and technical systems, the firm is simultaneously bolstering its organisational framework to sustain that transformation.

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Cabot Corporation has named Steve Delahunt, currently Vice President and Corporate Treasurer, to assume the Chief Financial Officer role on an interim basis starting 1 October 2026. He will hold the position while Cabot continues searching for a permanent finance chief.

The interim appointment follows the previously disclosed leadership transition in which Erica McLaughlin, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Strategy, will become President and Chief Executive Officer on the same date. McLaughlin succeeds Sean Keohane and will relinquish her CFO duties at that time.

Delahunt brings over three decades of finance and treasury experience, including nine years leading Cabot's investor relations function through January 2026. As Corporate Treasurer, he oversees global treasury operations, capital markets strategy, liquidity management, banking relationships, risk management and pension investments. He has been central to Cabot's capital allocation, financing, investor engagement and strategic growth initiatives, as well as strengthened shareholder relations during his investor relations tenure.

McLaughlin said, “Steve is a highly respected finance leader with deep knowledge of our business, strong relationships across our global organisation and a proven track record of disciplined financial leadership. As we continue executing our strategy and building on our strong financial position, Steve’s experience, judgment and understanding of our business make him exceptionally well suited to lead our finance organisation while the Company conducts its search for our next Chief Financial Officer.”

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JK Tyre & Industries Ltd has launched four new off-the-road (OTR) tyre products for construction, material handling and mining applications, as the company expands its portfolio in performance-focused segments.

The products were unveiled at BAUMA CONEXPO INDIA 2026, held at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, and are designed to improve durability, load-carrying capacity, traction and operational efficiency in demanding conditions.

The new range includes tyres for self-loading concrete mixers, backhoe loaders, telehandlers and mining tippers. JK Tyre said the additions are intended to meet evolving requirements across India’s construction, infrastructure and mining sectors.

Srinivasu Allaphan, Director of Sales And Marketing at JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, said: “India’s infrastructure and industrial growth is creating a growing need for high-performance, reliable and application-specific mobility solutions. At JK Tyre, we are committed to developing OTR solutions that address the specific needs of our customers and the demanding conditions in which their equipment operates. Our latest range combines durability, reliability and performance to help customers maximise equipment uptime and operational efficiency. As we continue to strengthen our premium OTR portfolio, we remain committed to delivering solutions that create value for our customers and support the growth of India’s construction, infrastructure and mining sectors.”

The company said the MPT 45 tyre pattern has been developed for traction and stability in mixed terrain, while the MPT117 range is designed for construction and material-handling operations, with a focus on grip and durability. A separate JDO XD tyre has been introduced for mining tippers, with reinforced construction aimed at resisting cuts and abrasions.

JK Tyre said the products were developed with Indian operating conditions in mind and are intended to improve machine performance and reduce operating costs in demanding applications.

The group added that the launch supports its expansion in off-the-road tyres across construction, mining and specialised industrial segments.

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