Bridgestone India announced the winners of the second edition of the Mobility Social Impact Awards on Monday. These awards identify, recognise and promote mobility innovations through advanced technologies and solutions in the field of social advancement.

The awards have three focus areas – Accessible, Safe and Smart mobility solutions, claims Bridgestone India. The first is innovative ideas that provide better accessibility to healthcare and nutrition, livelihoods, education and social inclusion is one area. The second is to assess safe mobility solutions that enhance safety and inclusion, bridging the present gender gap, disaster mitigation and increase road safety, states Bridgestone India. And the third is smart mobility solutions that yield a positive social impact, eliminating poverty, promoting biodiversity conservation and developing our rural communities.

The winners took home a total price money of INR three million in the three categories.

Sharing his views, Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India, said, “Bridgestone aims to positively impact the way people live, move, work and play. Mobility plays a key role in a nation’s development and thereby, has a significant impact on society. With these awards, we aim to recognise those who employ sustainable mobility solutions in the service of communities, thereby improving the quality of life. Being a global leader in mobility solutions, we understand what it takes to create innovative solutions and simultaneously aid to the needs of diverse communities. The winners of Bridgestone Mobility Social Impact Awards are a testament to this and we are honoured to recognise such innovators.”

The winners
As per Bridgestone India, Mentors Foundation, Tasgaon, Maharashtra was the winner for the “Two Wheels of Hope - Bicycle Bank project”, This project has been developed to solve distance and mobility challenges faced by girl students in rural areas to reach schools. Also, the project solved the problem of access to healthcare services in parallel. The tyre company states that an Accredited Social Healthcare Activist (ASHA) worker is allocated for every 1,000 families, and access to these families was only done by walking the distance. With Two Wheels of Hope, they are now able to reach out to the families well in time, as per Bridgestone India.

Bridgestone India further claims that the first runner up was Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), Hazaribagh, Jharkhand for its initiatives on restoring eyesight, free of cost, for rural, underprivileged citizens, with avoidable blindness – thus, restoring their mobility, social life and livelihood.

The second runner up was the Centre for Rural Development, Guwahati, Assam, for its project “Rickshaw Bank”. According to Bridgestone India, this project provides a means of self-employment to rickshaw pullers by offering a “rent-to-own” financing option to purchase an innovative, newly-designed rickshaw, DIP-BAHAN (originally designed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati). DIP-BAHAN is lighter in weight, has an improved centre of gravity, contains more luggage space and has a canopy to cover both puller and passengers.

The jury and felicitation
Bridgestone India states that the jury comprised Dr Sudha Kothari, Founder and Managing Trustee, Chaitanya; Arindam Lahiri, CEO at Automotive Skills Development Council – India; Prashant Ranjan Verma, General Secretary, National Association for the Blind; and Dr Lidwin Dias, Principal, College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai. Bridgestone India was represented on the jury by Apurv Choubey, Chief Human Resource Officer and Rajarshi Moitra Chief Commercial Officer.

The awardees were felicitated at the event attended by industrialist, philanthropist, humanitarian, Lila Poonawalla, as the Chief Guest, and Shankar Venkateshwaran, renowned expert on ESG and responsible business, as the keynote speaker, among other dignitaries from corporates, NGOs and the government and local administration, as per Bridgestone India.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been officially recognised as a DX Certified Business Operator by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The designation, which was granted on 1 September 2025, identifies companies that are thoroughly prepared for digital transformation as outlined by the Digital Governance Code.

This certification acknowledges Yokohama Rubber's comprehensive strategy for digital transformation, which is built on three core objectives: advancing business strategy, contributing to sustainability and reinforcing its IT infrastructure. Central to this effort is the company's proprietary AI framework, HAICoLab (Humans and AI ColLaborate), which drives group-wide digital initiatives. These include improving productivity, innovating processes, developing digital talent and building a global cloud-based IT system. The certification confirms that the company's efforts not only meet METI's stringent criteria but also demonstrate appropriate disclosure of information to its stakeholders.

Moving forward, the company said it will continue to leverage data from its entire value chain to adapt to a dynamic business environment. The company aims to enhance customer value, pursue sustainable innovation and transform its corporate culture to strengthen its competitive position and ensure long-term growth.

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TyresNmore, the automotive aftermarket e-commerce platform owned by RPG Group, has promoted Rakesh Tatikonda to Chief Executive Officer and announced the change with immediate effect.

Tatikonda, who previously oversaw business operations at the Mumbai-based firm, will spearhead the organisation’s expansion and innovation strategy. The appointment advances RPG Group’s ‘Talent First!’ policy, which rewards internal promotions and develops employees.

The new chief executive brings over 15 years of industry experience, having worked across multiple sectors with companies such as telecommunications giant Reliance Jio and IT services provider Infosys. Before joining TyresNmore in 2022, Tatikonda held senior positions at tyre manufacturer CEAT, where he developed expertise in strategy, operations, marketing and digital transformation.

“My aim is to transform automotive aftercare in India by offering seamless, tech-driven, end-to-end mobility solutions delivered with trust, transparency, and convenience right at the customer’s doorstep,” Tatikonda said in a statement.

TyresNmore operates a doorstep service model for tyre and battery replacement across six major Indian cities: Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai. The platform represents RPG Group’s entry into the growing automotive aftermarket sector, which has seen increased digitisation as consumers seek convenient maintenance solutions.

During his tenure in operations, Tatikonda scaled the business and improved profitability while driving digital transformation initiatives. His track record shows he strengthened operational efficiency and enhanced customer experience in the mobility convenience sector.

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Vaculug, Europe’s largest independent retreader producing high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres for fleets across the UK and Europe, has expanded its UK presence by acquiring Tyrefair in Kinross, Scotland.

This strategic acquisition extends the company's award-winning service further north, ensuring Scottish customers receive the same high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres Vaculug has supplied for 75 years. Since the purchase, the Kinross location has already grown by 25 percent, with an ambitious target to double its business within a year and then double it again.

This move is a key part of Vaculug's 2026 growth strategy, focused on strategic acquisitions that enable better, faster and more sustainable customer service. The acquisition reinforces Vaculug’s long-standing environmental mission, marking a new chapter of sustainable growth with a strengthened Scottish operation.

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Nokian Tyres is expanding its US presence through a new nationwide partnership with American Tire Distributors (ATD). This agreement provides Nokian access to ATD’s vast network of over 110 distribution centres, serving roughly 80,000 customers.

The collaboration will efficiently supply tyre shops with Nokian’s complete product lineup, enabling dealers to broaden their inventory. Both companies bring 90 years of experience and a shared dedication to innovation, safety and sustainability. This partnership will offer drivers more choices, supported by Nokian’s award-winning Tennessee factory and ATD’s technology-driven logistics.

This enhanced distribution capability ensures that consumers will have greater access to a full spectrum of high-performance tyres, meeting diverse driving needs and conditions. The alliance strengthens both brands' market positions by combining premium products with an unparalleled delivery system, ultimately improving service for dealers and drivers alike across the country.

Chris Ostrander, SVP, North America, Nokian Tyres, said, “The partnership with ATD enables us to reach more tyre shops and more drivers than ever before. ATD’s robust distribution network, customer service and responsiveness strengthen our agility to serve both new and existing customers.”

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