Gaurav Gill is a well-known name in the motorsports fraternity. He learnt to drive a car at the age of 10 and started drifting in cars by the age of 13. His first pro race was at the young age of 16yrs when he started racing motocross all over India until his accident in 2015. His first race on four wheels was in 2003 at the Formula Maruti Championship.

He went on to win championships from 2004, by 2006 he had won multiple National Racing Championships. The big jump in his career came in 2007 when he started racing at the Asia Pacific Rally Championship. He was also given the coveted Arjuna Award, the top recognition to sports achievers by the Indian government.

Tyre Trends talked to Gaurav

You’ve been racing since 2003, over the years, you’ve had many victories. How important a role have tyres played in your races?

Tyres often play one of the most important roles and most people underestimate this, you can have all the power you want but if you don’t have the right tyre it’s never going to be of any use !

Choosing the right set of tyres for the right race is crucial. Do you have a checkpoint list that you go through to determine which tyre you should use for a rally race?

Yes, there are several checklists. Surface, Surface temperatures, air temperature, overall day weather...

The ever-changing ground conditions between stages and the notoriously different terrain … how do you manage to keep your cars tyres at their optimum performance level?

Yes, rallying is a complex sport. The conditions are constantly changing. We have repeat stages, but the conditions can change dramatically and the tyre performance can be vastly affected. It’s important to understand the limit of the tyres and to be driving to the conditions within the tyre limit is the key to survival.

 As an experienced rally driver, do you weigh in on the choice of tyres needed for a race?

Yes, of course, the right tyre compound can be the easy decider when it comes to winning or losing. It’s one of the key factors for a successful result.

At the Gaurav Gill Advanced Driving Academy are there any key points that you emphasise on when it comes to tyres?

Absolutely! Rallying is a sport where the driver doesn’t have much traction due to the surface conditions so the driver has to be smart enough to create traction for himself accordingly. Tyres are one the main tools a driver has apart from mechanical grip which works in tandem. To be able to use the tyre to its potential and not overuse it is what we emphasise on as it can be the most crucial point during an event.

Any advice for young rally aspirants?

Focus and dedication are very important in any sport. Never use public roads to practice!

The school

The Gaurav Gill Advanced Driving Academy is all about the science behind driving. The academy has given opportunities to men, women of all ages and even teenagers as young as 14-years old to witness a world class level of rally driving from Gaurav Gill and to be educated and trained by Gaurav Gill along with his self-trained instructors to take their driving levels par excellence.

GG-ADA has hosted schools in Delhi and around Coimbatore on the legendary rally stages of the Indian Rally C’ship giving an opportunity to the participants to reach speeds of up to 150 kmph on natural gravel roads. GG ADA is all about selling the highest driving standards to people not only in India but internationally also including FIA African champion who is regularly trained under Gaurav Gill.

The idea in the future is to open the academy with 5-6 rally cars with JK Tyre branding, support and using the JK Rally Tyres in India and make this into a permanent facility with rally cars & instructors available in the South and the north of India to be hosted by GG on monthly basis and also to attract corporate clients and make it into commercially viable weekend getaway for the adventure & the adrenaline junkie. Gaurav Gill also plans to create an alliance with the Indian Armed forces and the Traffic police spreading awareness of safe driving and smart driving through GG-ADA.

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Dr Suttipong Angthong, Secretary-General of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), was a distinguished speaker at the World Elastomer Technology and Engineering Forum (WETEF) in Shanghai from 13 to 16 September 2026. Co-organised with RubberTech China, the event attracted over 100,000 professional visitors, industry leaders, scholars and executives from dozens of countries.

His participation delivered strategic benefits for ANRPC and its members by raising natural rubber's profile amid global discussions dominated by synthetic elastomers and advanced materials. Aligning with WETEF's eco-friendly manufacturing focus, he promoted climate-positive practices, traceability and environmentally sound processing methods.

The forum also created direct dialogue channels with major consuming markets and international technical institutions, strengthening trade synergies. It provided valuable insights into breakthrough elastomer science, helping member nations adapt to shifting international market demands.

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Kuraray Co., Ltd. has contributed JPY 9,896,480, roughly USD 64,000, to four international nonprofit organisations. The funds were generated through employee participation in ‘100 Challenge’, a global initiative tied to the company’s centennial observances.

The World Food Programme received JPY 2,804,003, while UNICEF was granted JPY 2,474,120. WaterAid obtained JPY 2,405,394 and WWF was allocated JPY 2,212,963. Each organisation’s share corresponded directly to points accumulated by Kuraray Group staff.

The Group marked its 100th anniversary in June 2026, adopting ‘Possible starts here’ and a related brand story as the guiding concept for its centennial activities. While honouring those who built its first century, Kuraray is pursuing diverse efforts intended to shape the next 100 years, with employees worldwide at the centre. The company seeks to connect staff across departments, countries and languages, fostering unity and connection.

A dedicated app called ‘100 Challenge’, inspired by younger employees, formed one such effort. Participants completed 100 in-app tasks, earning points that supported social contribution activities. The app provided a shared experience regardless of location or role, with individual efforts contributing to both a commemorative mosaic artwork and charitable donations. By combining small individual challenges, the initiative illustrated how personal actions can generate meaningful collective impact, reflecting long-held Kuraray Group values.

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TyreSafe has entered a new partnership with Staffordshire Police, reinforcing a joint commitment to improve road safety and reduce fatalities and serious injuries across the county. The collaboration aims to highlight the critical role tyres play in protecting road users by encouraging simple, regular checks of pressure, tread depth and overall condition.

The value of this preventative approach was recently demonstrated during a multi-agency enforcement operation at the DVSA Vehicle Inspection Site in Doxey. Held on 25 August, Operation Doxey involved Staffordshire Police, West Mercia Police, DVSA, Datatag, the Forensic Collision Investigation Unit and TyreSafe. Inspectors directed 30 vehicles into the site, covering leisure vehicles, towing vehicles, light commercial vehicles and goods vehicles.

Seven tyre and wheel-related defects, mechanical risks and pressure discrepancies were identified. These included a tyre cut through to the cord, which received an immediate prohibition notice, a tyre running roughly 30 percent below recommended pressure, an overweight light commercial vehicle with a nail embedded in a tyre and all four tyres underinflated, a significant rear axle pressure imbalance, a missing wheel nut and an 11-year-old tyre. Leisure vehicle owners generally showed good tread awareness, though pressure maintenance remained an issue, while commercial vehicles presented several preventable defects.

Staffordshire has one of UK’s statistically safest road networks, yet serious collisions remain a concern, particularly on single carriageways. Rural bends, changing speed limits and limited visibility add risk, while motorcyclists and vulnerable road users are disproportionately affected. Common factors include failing to look properly, misjudging speed or path and driving too fast or carelessly. TyreSafe now works with over 260 organisations, and this partnership encourages Staffordshire motorists to make tyre checks routine.

Stuart Lovatt, Chairman, TyreSafe, said, “We are delighted to welcome Staffordshire Police as a TyreSafe partner. While Staffordshire has a strong road safety record, every serious collision has potentially devastating consequences for those involved, their families and their communities. The recent Operation Doxey enforcement activity demonstrates exactly why preventative vehicle maintenance matters. Across just 30 vehicles, inspectors identified a number of serious tyre and wheel defects, including a tyre cut to the cord, significantly incorrect tyre pressures, an embedded nail, a missing wheel nut and a tyre that was 11 years old.

“These findings are a powerful reminder that problems are not always obvious from behind the wheel. Simple checks before a journey can help identify issues before they become a danger on the road. Different roads present different challenges, particularly rural and single carriageway roads where the consequences of losing control or being unable to stop safely can be especially severe. Road safety requires a collective effort, and partnerships such as this are incredibly important. By combining the reach and expertise of Staffordshire Police with TyreSafe’s specialist knowledge and campaigns, we can help more road users understand the simple but crucial role their tyres play in keeping themselves and others safe.”

Police Sergeant Adam Van de Sande, Staffordshire Road Crime – Proactive & Harm Reduction Team, said, “Keeping people safe on Staffordshire’s roads requires everyone to play their part. We are committed to working with partners to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our road network. Operation Doxey demonstrated the value of partnership working, with officers, vehicle examiners and road safety specialists able to identify a range of defects and safety issues before those vehicles continued their journeys.

“Vehicle safety is an important part of that responsibility, and tyres are fundamental to a vehicle’s ability to stop, steer and maintain grip. We are pleased to be working with TyreSafe to raise awareness and encourage motorists to make regular tyre checks part of their routine vehicle maintenance. Our message to road users is simple: don’t wait for something to go wrong. Take a few minutes to check your vehicle and make sure it is ready for the road.”

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The AZuR Network has been honoured with the German Award for Sustainability Projects 2026 in the C2C/Recycling category for its ‘Retreading: Climate Protection on Wheels’ project. The recognition highlights the network's efforts to expand tyre retreading across Germany and Europe, thereby extending the useful life of tyres. Retreading works by reusing a suitable used tyre casing and applying a fresh tread, keeping a substantial share of the original tyre in circulation.

A life cycle assessment commissioned by AZuR and carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT compared retreaded tyres with equivalent new ones. Under the conditions examined, producing a retreaded truck tyre generated roughly 135 kilogrammes less greenhouse gas emissions, a reduction exceeding 60 percent. The process also reuses considerable portions of the existing tyre casing, reinforcing its environmental advantages.

The jury underscored the project's scalability and its relevance to the industry. Official documentation further noted the political integration of the topic as a key strength, with the EU taxonomy confirmation in 2025 representing a tangible milestone. The award places AZuR among well-known companies and innovative projects, including a climate protection cooker initiative in Cameroon, a capsule-free coffee system and a mental health awareness campaign.

Knauf secured first place in the same category with its circular gypsum supply chain, while Schmitz Cargobull led the Mobility and Logistics Solutions category. Other first-place winners included DEKRA, Hansgrohe, Pfleiderer Germany and SBRS. Presented by DISQ with ntv and DUP UNTERNEHMER under Brigitte Zypries' patronage, the 2026 edition saw 433 nominations, with 46 organisations recognised across 19 categories on 17 September in Berlin.

Christina Guth, Network Coordinator, AZuR, said, “This award belongs to our entire network. Retreading only works when many stakeholders collaborate along the value chain – from certified end-of-life tyre recyclers, tyre manufacturers and retreaders to retailers and fleet operators, all the way to academia. The award highlights the potential of using high-quality tyres for longer and keeping their casings in circulation.”

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