Around six years ago, JK Tyre joined hands with Pune-based Treel Mobility, which has now been acquired by the tyre company. Today JK Tyre is the only tyre company in India that indigenously manufacturers Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) based on sensor technology. TREEL provides live data on the most important variables: tyre temperature, tyre pressure, tyre positions, locations, distance travelled and expected tyre life through our algorithm thus capture almost full health of the tyres. We provide our TMAS software for tyre management.

JK Tyre offers sensor technologies for both OE and aftermarket.

“The sensors can alert if the air pressure increases and drops by more than one psi. Our sensors are a multi-utility product and come with around five years of life,” Misra said, adding that the company’s sensor technologies are getting good response from the market.

JK Tyre’s manufacturing operations comprise of 12 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. The company has nine modern plants in India (three plants in Mysuru, three plants in Haridwar and one plant each in Banmore (M.P.), Kankroli (Rajasthan) and Chennai and three plants in Mexico – an aggregate production capacity of around 32 million tyres per annum.

The company is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of automotive tyres, tubes and flaps. JK Tyre’s products comprise Truck/Bus Radial & Bias, Passenger car radials, 2/3-wheeler tyres, LCV & SCV Bias & Radial, off-highway tyres (OTR and Farm), as well as speciality tyres for military/ defence, industrial and farm applications besides racing tyres.

Data generated through the sensors is not only helping JK Tyre to develop better products but provides an efficient and cost-effective service to its customers, especially in Truck Radial tyre space. “Service efficiency is what makes the difference to a customer. It is very important factor,” explained Misra.

JK Tyre is also in “Mobility Solutions”, where the company takes complete control of the tyre management and sells tyres by kilometres to the customers.

“Having such solutions availed, fleet owners do not have to worry about the most capital intensive part tyres. They do not have to buy tyres. We provide the right quality of tyres as per their requirements and then we make sure that tyres are optimally used and well maintained. To ensure performance and better life of tyres, we need lots of information and timely data collection which is not humanly possible. But now we can have all the data since tyres are fitted with sensors,” said Misra.

Misra claims that JK Tyres is the first company in India to provide such kind of services to the fleet companies.

“JK Tyre will continuously keep looking into the enhancement of sensor technologies in future,” he said.

With the help of JK Tyre’s service management and support around 3% fuel can be saved with the better pressure, alignment and maintenance of the tyres, whereas the tyre life is improved anywhere between 5% to 10%. “We have also seen big improvement in the downtime of the vehicles as well,” added Misra. The company extended this solution across more than 800 fleet owners. JK Tyre today has over 50 state-of-the-art Truck Wheels centres across the country which provides services enabled by high-quality machinery including computerised wheel alignment, wheel balancing, automated tyre changing, tyre rotation, nitrogen for tyre inflation, all under one roof to provide a 360-degree solution and excellent experience to the customer.

For EV mobility, the company is getting aggressive. JK Tyre has done benchmarking in the markets where the EV is largely being used. “We have tested and kept the tyres ready for EV cars. We have developed special tyres and have also done benchmarking with tyres which are being used by cars like Tesla / Kona,” said Misra. We intend offering special tyres for EV application backed with sensor technology.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is planning to introduce star rating, like electric appliances, for tyres based on their rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling noise. In Europe also, the labelling is provided on tyres for rolling resistance, braking on wet surfaces and external noise.

However, India did not have facilities to test wet grip in India till recent times. For the export purpose, the Indian tyre companies used to get their tyres tested for wet grip from outside India.

“In India, the star ratings have been principally agreed and accepted. The levels from 1 to 5 for RR and wet grip have also been finalised for all type of tyres. The star rating will come soon in India,” said Misra. However, the data for wet grip & rolling noise is yet to be generated to confirm the specs so far considered.

Initially, the star rating will be voluntarily for the first two years and then it will become mandatory. “It will be interesting to see how star rating will influence customers’ buying behaviour,” he added.

The company is also establishing its wet grip testing capability. JK Tyre has become the first tyre company in India to buy a traction trailer to test wet grip. The traction trailer has been installed at NATRiP, Indore. International Centre for Automotive Technology and Automotive Research Association of India are in also in the process of certifying complete infrastructure for testing for Indian Tyre Industry for all category of tyres under review.

“Based on the readiness at ICAT and later at ARAI, the tyre industry will generate data on wet grip,” and approach certification body to align the specifications.

The company is currently using the traction trailer for its own purpose and will explore possibilities to provide wet grip testing service to other players in the Indian market.

For the commercial tyre business, the company’s recent breakthrough is Fuel Saver Technology, which saves up to 8% to 10% fuel. The company introduced its fuel-saving technology for its TBR tyres and now it will be brought for tubeless tyres which has also been extended to Tubeless Truck Tyres. The company has also successfully launched a radial mining tyre in the country.

As for as the passenger vehicle tyres, JK Tyre will launch an ultra-high-performance tyre, being developed in Europe. “We have tested our ultra-high-performance tyre up to 300 km/h on one of the best tracks available in Germany by test experts against best in class- tyres. We also picked up an Indian brand which declared their tyre as UHP tyre. Our tyre is far superior in terms of overall- handling, performance, control, wet grip and noise. We will launch this product soon,” said Misra.

In the auto industry, traditional rivals are coming together to meet future demand and tackle various challenges. For instance, BMW and Daimler have come together for autonomous cars. According to reports, the agreement to develop automated driving technology will focus on assisted driving systems, automated driving on highways, and automated parking. However, regarding this Misra does not see possibility of such collaborations on new technology sharing or development in the Indian tyre industry.

“Being a member of various committees in the industry, we had jointly mooted an idea of having a common research and development centre with the support of the Government of India where we have every possible capability for technology development. Even if we get into that, it will not be technology sharing but yes a great platform can get created for Technology development.

For JK Tyre, fuel economy, longevity and safety is paramount for its products. “Safety is expected to be inbuilt, though customers awareness needs to be enhanced. Now fuel efficiency and rolling resistance are gaining traction, particularly from OE perspective. For the aftermarket, longevity continues to be the top priority,” said Misra.

JK Tyre is also building capabilities in various fronts. JK Tyre’s new Research and Development (R&D) facility - Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence (RPSCOE) at Mysore has capabilities for all aspects right from testing the raw rubber sourced to creating simulations and predictive techniques for future offerings. Along with the installation of the traction trailer, the company was the first to have the Semi-Anechoic Chamber that uses specialised software for noise, vibration and harshness and data analysis. The company also has a centre of excellence at IIT Madras which is a joint venture between the company and IIT Madras. “We have developed many predictive technologies and other solution at the Centre. The virtual proving ground has been setup where you can establish the actual performance for the tyres on a vehicle without having actual tyres or vehicle. This is a very advanced concept. We are developing lot of techniques to master and get the full benefit in this virtual proving ground. Various data for the vehicles and a tyre is fed into the software and you can put data of any test track and drive the car with different speeds. You can feel the real performance. With this virtual proving ground capacity, we can generate data for tyres and determine what kind of tyres are best suited for a particular car.”

The company also uses a steering robot to collect data to have accurate and objective information.

For two-wheeler tyres, JK Tyre is focusing on tubeless tyres. The company plans to expand its two-wheeler tyre production from the current capacity of 650000 tyres per month. “We are in the process of expanding the range for high-end bikes. We are also planning to penetrate deeper into the OE space,” said Misra. The company is already OE supplier of two-wheeler tyres for Hero and Bajaj.

The biggest challenge for a technical person in the tyre industry is to anticipate the customer requirement stated as well as unstated and develop the right tyre. “The main challenge is to keep improving the performance and keep the cost low,” added Misra.

The Indian customer is very aware and knowledgeable hence continuous upgradation of technology and products is the key to success.

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NASA has launched a three-phase competition offering USD 155,000 in prizes to develop next-generation wheels for lunar rovers, as the US space agency prepares for sustained exploration missions to the Moon’s surface.

The “Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge” seeks lightweight, durable wheel designs capable of traversing the Moon’s harsh terrain of razor-sharp regolith whilst maintaining performance in extreme temperature variations and carrying substantial cargo loads at higher speeds.

The competition addresses critical mobility challenges facing future lunar missions, where traditional rover wheels have struggled with the Moon’s abrasive surface materials and temperature extremes that can plummet to minus 173 degrees Celsius during lunar nights.

“The next era of lunar exploration demands a new kind of wheel – one that can sprint across razor-sharp regolith, shrug off extremely cold nights, and keep a rover rolling day after lunar day,” NASA stated in announcing the challenge.

The programme unfolds across three distinct phases. Phase 1, which opened on 28 August and runs until 4 November 2025, will reward the best conceptual designs and analyses. Phase 2, scheduled for January through April 2026, will fund prototype development. The final phase in May-June 2026 will test leading designs through live obstacle courses simulating lunar conditions.

For the concluding phase, NASA will deploy MicroChariot, a 45-kilogram test rover, to evaluate top-performing wheel designs at the Johnson Space Centre Rockyard facility in Houston, Texas. The testing ground will simulate the challenging lunar terrain that future missions must navigate.

The competition remains open to diverse participants, from university student teams and independent inventors to established aerospace companies, reflecting NASA’s broader strategy of engaging private sector innovation for space exploration technologies.

NASA mobility engineers will provide ongoing feedback throughout the competition phases, offering participants insights from the agency’s extensive experience in planetary rover operations, including successful missions to Mars.

The challenge comes as NASA intensifies preparations for the Artemis programme, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and serve as a stepping stone for eventual Mars exploration missions.

Current lunar rover designs have faced limitations in speed, cargo capacity, and durability when operating across the Moon’s challenging surface conditions, creating demand for breakthrough mobility solutions that can support extended surface operations.

The competition timeline positions Phase 2 prototype funding to commence in January 2026, allowing successful Phase 1 participants several months to refine their concepts before advancing to hardware development.

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VMI will display its automated Strainer Plate Cleaning Station, a significant innovation designed to address a longstanding challenge within the rubber manufacturing industry, at the upcoming Global Polymer Summit in Cleveland. This comes at a critical time of rapid economic expansion in the United States, largely fuelled by construction and industrial renewal, which is driving increased demand for high-quality, efficiently produced rubber components.

These components are essential across a vast spectrum of applications, from microscopic seals and industrial machinery to pipelines and specialised products for extreme environments. To keep pace, US manufacturers are actively seeking advanced equipment that combines superior quality, shorter lead times and robust stateside support. For over two decades, VMI has met these exact needs from its Ohio operations, offering German-engineered solutions supported by responsive local service.

The new Strainer Plate Cleaning Station exemplifies VMI's pioneering ‘Hands-off, Eyes-off’ automation philosophy, previously applied to its industry-standard tyre building machines. This system utilises advanced robotics to completely transform what has traditionally been one of the most labour-intensive, unpleasant and hazardous jobs in a rubber factory. The automated Strainer Plate Cleaning Station will be demonstrated in operation at VMI’s booth, number 1430, during the Global Polymer Summit from 8th to 11th September.

The benefits of this automation are substantial. Companies can reallocate skilled workers to more value-added production roles, thereby boosting overall productivity and driving down unit costs. This enhanced efficiency allows businesses to become more competitive and responsive to dynamic market demands. The system integrates seamlessly with VMI’s extrusion and gear pump systems, which are backed by proprietary management software that enables the flexible production of both standard and highly specialised components on a single platform.

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The Qingdao Municipal Government Information Office recently hosted a media briefing on ‘Shandong's Top Brands on the Industrial Chain – Intelligent Equipment Industrial Chain’ at the MESNAC Jiaozhou Equipment Industrial Park. Senior leaders from MESNAC and three other prominent firms were in attendance to present their advancements and field questions from journalists.

A central focus was on MESNAC's proprietary ROC R&D platform, a unique modular system engineered specifically for the rubber equipment sector. This platform is fundamentally structured around client requirements, integrating comprehensive product design, technological development and rigorous testing protocols. This architecture facilitates a configurable development process, allowing for both large-scale customisation and remarkably agile product delivery. The company's operational philosophy was explained as a dedicated team model, where a single unit focuses its expertise on one product for its entire lifecycle. This meticulous approach has generated significant industry innovations in recent years, including fully automatic material weighing systems, unmanned tire building machinery and intelligent tyre curing press workshops capable of operating as fully unmanned ‘lights-out’ facilities.

The event included a practical demonstration of this technology in action. Attendees witnessed the NPS Semi-steel One-stage Building Machine, which achieves a single-tyre production cycle of just 35 seconds through complete automation. This system boasts world-class efficiency, requiring only one person to supervise multiple machines simultaneously. It embodies a new generation of intelligent manufacturing by seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technologies such as precision machine vision, industrial robotics, sophisticated industrial IoT software and autonomous learning capabilities.

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NEXEN TIRE has inaugurated a cutting-edge High Dynamic Driving Simulator at its Magok-based NEXEN UniverCity R&D centre in Seoul. A first-of-its-kind installation within the South Korean tyre industry, this advanced system represents a pivotal step in modernising tyre development by leveraging virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

The simulator functions by creating a highly realistic virtual driving environment. Engineers can input specific vehicle data and parameters to conduct precise testing of performance metrics such as acceleration, braking and handling across a diverse range of simulated road conditions, all within a controlled laboratory setting.

This technological advancement is expected to significantly streamline NEXEN TIRE’s research and development operations. It will reduce the need for physical prototypes and extensive real-world vehicle tests, which in turn accelerates development cycles and lowers associated costs. A major strategic benefit is the enhanced ability to meet the exacting performance standards required by global automakers for original equipment tyres, especially for new and high-performance vehicle models.

The shift towards virtual testing also supports the company's sustainability objectives by diminishing the fossil fuel consumption typically involved in traditional road testing, thereby supporting its broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments. This move aligns with a larger industry trend where automakers are rapidly adopting virtual processes to improve efficiency.

Looking forward, NEXEN TIRE plans to build upon this simulator to establish a comprehensive Full Virtual Development Process. This long-term strategy aims to integrate advanced simulation with finite element method analysis and AI, ultimately working towards a future where physical testing is largely replaced by virtual validation.

John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO, NEXEN TIRE, said, “Ahead of the industry trend towards virtual development of vehicles and tyres, the establishment of our High Dynamic Driving Simulator is a strategic investment to lead the future mobility sector. By combining VR and AI technologies, we will enhance both the efficiency and precision of our R&D while contributing to ESG management, thereby strengthening our global competitiveness.”

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