The huge volume of data that can be collected from tyres is beyond most people’s comprehension, especially when most don’t even know they should be checking the tyre inflation pressures on a regular basis.

Tyre technology is advancing at an ever increasing rate. The demands of consumers on the products our industry produce are changing as vehicles evolve. The advent of electric vehicles (EV) has placed a series of demands on tyres that have not been previously experienced.

How will hydrogen-powered vehicles (HPV) vary from the EV requirements is an answer yet to be found. The intrusion of artificial intelligence (AI) into daily life is permeating faster than most can appreciate, and tyres are no different.

The huge volume of data that can be collected from tyres is beyond most people’s comprehension, especially when most don’t even know they should be checking the tyre inflation pressures on a regular basis.

Early Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) generate reams of data. The systems used on F1 (Formula 1) cars and MotoGP bikes generate huge volumes, which is used to assist control of the vehicle. An example was relayed to me some years ago by a Moto2 race engineer who mentioned that when slip-streaming a bike (following literally nose to tail), it was observed that the temperature of the front tyre rose by up to five degrees

Celsius. I observe some of the artistic renditions of futuristic trucks and cars where tyres are completely enclosed by bodywork, ostensibly to aid aerodynamics. If the tyres don’t have a stream of cooling air, how do they dissipate the heat that is generated by the hysteresis a tyre experiences during operation? It is evident to me that many fall victim to what I call the Rumsfeld Rule; they don’t know what they don’t know, and worse still, they don’t know that they don’t know.

This could also be called the ‘First Rule of Tyre Technology’, just as I was taught the first law of computing, GIGO. If you have to ask, then you’re already a victim. The vast majority of the population don’t know much about tyres except that when they are flat, it’s a pain.

The fact that they entrust their lives to the humble servant we know as tyres on a daily basis without the basic knowledge is a serious concern to me. In the headlong race into technology, we’ve forgotten to bring the people along with us.

Social media is an example where most, nearly everyone, wants the fruit without having to prepare the soil, then grow the tree until it flowers, then wait for the fruit. ‘I want it now, I want it yesterday and stay tuned because the demands will all change’ (thanks Billy Connolly!) is all too common. The insidious outcome of this media is the ownership of the data, of what you buy, use, view, listen to, eat, where you visit is no longer yours. It is the big corporates that now own your data.

What does this have to do with tyres, I understand you ask. The humble tyre conveys us through our daily travels. It experiences a lot more than we do in that we don’t tread the pavements, or get hot or wet or get bounced over potholes on the road. The array of sensors now being developed for tyres are becoming the control centre of the automotive conveyances, be they fossil-fuelled, EV or HPVs.

What the tyre experiences is transferred into the vehicles control systems, which are then able to direct the motive forces to be applied at the appropriate rate. There is little use in having more brakes than there is traction available; that only results in a brake lock up, which destroys tyres and often results in a loss of control. ABS brakes are a prime defence of tyre lock ups. The tyre can collect the data which can determine your driving style, not only the route you have taken or the load you carry. So the automotive manufacturers will be able to use this data to tailor their solutions to you just as the social media concerns use algorithms to target content to you.

What is not quite as obvious as the data collection aspects is the environmental results of tyre use. Just as there are many unseen outcomes as a result of social media, there are outcomes that are largely unseen involved with tyre manufacture and use.

We go into a tyre shop to purchase tyres; it’s clean and bright or dark and dingy as a traditional tyre outlet or maybe something in-between. This experience tells us zero about how the tyre came into being and how it was landed in the store where you are purchasing it. The deeply technical and diverse agglomerations that are required to produce a tyre range from growing a tree (remember the fruit?) or drilling deep wells for oil, the mining of iron and other minerals to the production of complex chemical compounds used to create the rubbers.

The technology required to produce the single most complex item on today’s automotive machines is largely forgotten when standing in front of a range of tyres on offer. Unfortunately, a purchasing decision may be as basic as ‘what is the cheapest you have’ or preferably ‘what is the safest tyre you have’. As an industry, we’ve forgotten to educate the buying public on why a safe tyre is the item we should be purchasing. The race to the bottom to have low-cost items has yielded more than just cheap prices and substandard products.

Like most industries, there is a legacy of unwanted results; yes, the demise of discussion now we are staying glued to our phones instead of conversing.

Rubber, by its very nature, is a resilient compound that endures the abuse we throw at it when used as a tyre. Think about this for a moment: you purchase a new vehicle fitted with quality tyres, which we all know will be worn out when the tread is down to the tread depth indicators. What happens to the rubber that has worn away? Do you think about it? For those unfamiliar with on road motorsport such as F1 or MotoGP, you may not have heard of the term ‘tyre marbles’. These are chunks of the very sticky soft compound rubbers on tyres that are used for ultimate traction on a road circuit.

The marbles on a road racing circuit are quite obvious and are at the opposite end of the spectrum to the rubber particulates left on our streets and roads as our daily drives pass by. These rubber particulates (P2.5 is the smallest measurable in today’s systems) are particularly insidious as they permeate our environment.

The rubber dust is washed from the pavements when there is rain, dispersed through the drainage systems and then mixed into the outfall, be that a river and then ocean.

Dry dust particulates are dispersed by the winds into the soils. Microplastics ingress is a rising issue. Our technology (as an industry) is found wanting when the environmental aspects of product use is examined. No, I don’t have any answers except to consider magnetic levitation (which is feasible with examples operating) or matter transportation, which is off the planet for me. I raise the topic for consideration within the context of tyre technology. There is an immediate requirement for the recycling of tyres. Such projects, where the carbon black makes up about 40 percent of the recycling project product stream, seem to be an issue but are potentially feasible.

Tyres can be reused by retreading or repurposed in other manners; however, until the general public accept that tyres are more than a grudge purchase, then all the technology is only leading us further into the abyss.

Our industry needs the same energies as are applied to the technology employed to be used in education of our end users so they can grow to appreciate tyres just as we in the industry already do. As fire is a wonderful servant but a bad master, tyres too are wonderful servants but have serious outcomes if we continue to ignore them. Education is required. More technology is not necessarily the best answer.

JK Tyre & Industries is aiming for double-digit revenue growth in FY2026, outpacing its forecast for single-digit expansion across the broader tyre industry. Managing Director Anshuman Singhania outlined the company’s ambitions during a post-earnings media call, underscoring confidence in demand recovery and strategic market positioning.

Q1 Performance Overview

For the first quarter of FY2026, JK Tyre reported revenue of INR 38.91 billion, with EBITDA at INR 4.24 billion, translating to a margin of 10 percent. Net profit stood at ₹1.55 billion — up 51 percent compared with the previous quarter, but down 21 percent YoY.

Singhania attributed the annual decline to muted original equipment (OE) demand, particularly in truck and bus radial (TBR) volumes, alongside higher raw material costs compared to the same period last year. He also highlighted an adverse impact from the company’s Tornel business in Mexico, which faced uncertainty due to tariffs on exports from Mexico to the United States, dampening volumes.

Resilience in Domestic and Export Markets

Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, said, “The growth momentum in domestic markets remained robust in Q1, with JK Tyre clocking a sales growth of 11 percent YoY, as contributed by a steady demand for our products in both replacement as well as OE segments, underscoring JK Tyre’s continued focus on core growth drivers and strengthening market presence.”

“Despite a challenging and uncertain macro-economic environment, exports of passenger car tyres witnessed a strong traction both on QoQ and YoY basis, signifying pull for our products and enhanced brand perception in the global markets,” said Dr Singhania.

Operational efficiencies and strategic pricing supported performance, even as natural rubber prices remained elevated. Subsidiaries Cavendish (India) and Tornel (Mexico) continued to contribute significantly to the group’s consolidated financials.

Operational efficiencies and strategic pricing supported performance, even as natural rubber prices remained elevated. Subsidiaries Cavendish (India) and Tornel (Mexico) continued to contribute significantly to the group’s consolidated financials.

Regarding trade tensions between India and the US, Anshuman Singhania noted that exports from India to the US account for only around 3 percent of JK Tyre’s revenue and could be redirected to markets such as Mexico, Latin America, Brazil and the UAE if required. With zero tariffs in Mexico, JK Tyre can utilise its production base there to meet demand for both passenger and truck radials. The EU and UK, where JK Tyre holds a strong position in the TBR segment, also remain tariff-free.

Capacity expansion

The company’s INR 14 billion capital expenditure plan is progressing on schedule, covering passenger car radial (PCR), TBR and all-steel truck radial projects. For the year, investment is expected to total INR 9-10 billion, aimed at boosting production capacity by 30-40 percent.

A key driver for future profitability is the shift towards premium products. The share of 16-inch and above passenger car tyres in JK Tyre’s portfolio has grown from 18 percent in FY2020 to 25 percent in FY2025, with a target of 40-45 percent over the next two to three years. This change is being fuelled by rising SUV sales, larger rim sizes in entry-level cars and strong export demand.

The company has also developed a complete range of tyres for electric vehicles, spanning commercial truck radials, bus tyres, passenger radials and two/three-wheeler tyres  Major OEMs such as Ashok Leyland’s Switch Mobility and Tata Motors are sourcing these products, including for last-mile connectivity vehicles and newly launched EV buses.

Market Outlook

The replacement market has been a bright spot, with passenger radial volumes up 32 percent year-on-year and truck radial volumes growing in the high single digits. JK Tyre expects demand to strengthen in the second half of FY2026, supported by infrastructure development, a favourable monsoon, potential interest rate cuts, and improved consumer liquidity.

Anshuman Singhania stressed that the worst of raw material price pressures appear to be over, paving the way for margin improvement as the product mix shifts and capacity utilisation rises. With the small car segment’s gradual decline offset by growth in premium categories, JK Tyre remains confident in sustaining momentum.

“Overall, India is poised for growth,” Singhania concluded. “We see positives across the board — from infrastructure push to evolving consumer preferences — and we are well-positioned to capitalise on these trends.”

Yokohama Rubber has begun supplying its ADVAN V61 tyres as original equipment for BYD’s new SEALION 6 DM-i SUV, marking the Japanese manufacturer’s first OE partnership with the Chinese carmaker.

The SEALION 6 DM-i, a plug-in hybrid SUV launched by BYD Company Ltd. this July, is being factory-fitted with 235/50R19 103V size ADVAN V61 tyres. The announcement comes as Yokohama seeks to grow its footprint in China’s fast-evolving electric and hybrid vehicle market.

The ADVAN V61 is part of Yokohama’s global flagship ADVAN range and is positioned as a premium SUV tyre. The company said the tyre “offers ADVAN’s hallmark premium-grade driving performance, along with a high-level balance of fuel and energy efficiency, handling stability, and quietness, achieving both comfortable city driving and long-distance touring for heavyweight SUVs.”

The SEALION 6 DM-i combines a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing up to 74kW with an electric motor generating 160kW. Buyers can choose between 18.3 kWh and 26.6 kWh blade battery options, offering electric driving ranges of 93km and 130km, respectively. All models come equipped with advanced driver assistance systems as standard, and the exterior design draws inspiration from the concept of “ocean aesthetics.”

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd said its subsidiary Dunlop Tyre Japan Ltd has completed a Japan Fair Trade Commission investigation into automotive all-season tyre sales after the regulator approved a commitment plan submitted by the unit.

The probe, which examined the subsidiary’s sales practices, concluded without the commission identifying any violation of Japan’s Antimonopoly Act, Sumitomo Rubber said in a statement.

Under Japan’s commitment procedures, companies can submit plans to address potential competition concerns without admitting wrongdoing, allowing them to resolve investigations while avoiding formal sanctions.

"We deeply apologise for the great trouble and anxiety that we have caused to all concerned, including our clients and business partners,” the tyre maker said.

Belgian steel wire maker Bekaert reported resilient first-half 2025 earnings as strong cash generation and cost control offset softer sales, but warned that tariffs and currency pressures are weighing on demand.

The company posted consolidated sales of €1.9 billion, down 5.2 percent year-on-year, with volumes declining 2.6 percent and price/mix effects stripping out a further 2.2 percent. Underlying EBIT slipped 16.2 percent to €171 million, delivering a margin of 8.8 percent compared with 9.9 percent a year earlier.

Free cash flow surged to €123 million from €43 million in the prior-year period, driven by a €135 million reduction in working capital and €21 million in cost savings as the company continued to streamline operations and rein in capex. Net debt fell to €327 million from €399 million despite a continuing €200 million share buyback programme, €74 million of which has been completed.

“We have continued to focus on what we can control best – cash flow and costs - and have significantly reduced overheads and working capital in H1 2025,” chief executive Yves Kerstens said. “Equally, I am very pleased with the hard work of our teams fighting for volumes in the current challenging markets.”

He added: “We are also taking further steps to make our business units more autonomous and agile. Therefore, I am very confident that we will come out of the current business environment stronger and more cost competitive than ever before.”

Bekaert said volumes were particularly strong in its Steel Wire Solutions and Rubber Reinforcement divisions in the United States and China, while European and Latin American demand lagged. Its Brazilian joint ventures delivered €24 million in net profit share, up from €20 million a year ago.

However, the group cautioned that growing trade tensions – including a rise in US steel tariffs from 25 percent to 50 percent – and the weakening of the US dollar and Chinese yuan against the euro were eroding pricing power and softening orders.

“Following a period of resilience in Q2, the tariff uncertainty and weakening economic outlook has started to have an impact on demand,” Bekaert said.

The company now expects slightly lower full-year 2025 sales on a like-for-like basis, with an underlying EBIT margin of between 8.0 percent and 8.5 percent, down from 8.8 percent in the first half.