All roads led to Delhi-NCR as automakers, component suppliers and allied ecosystem players showcased their mettle and contributed to the success of the world’s second-largest automotive show – Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025.

The six-day megaevent beginning 17 January 2025, spread across three venues had focus on nine key aspects of mobility. This included The Auto Expo Motor Show 2025, India International Tyre Show 2025, India Cycle Show 2025, Bharat Battery Show, Steel Pavillion and Mobility Tech Pavillion at Bharat Mandapam, new Delhi. The Auto Components Show 2025 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi; Bharat Construction Equipment Expo and Urban Mobility & Infrastructure Show at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Nodia, respectively. The Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 had plenty of insights and updates for everyone.

In its second year, the Bharat Mobility Show 2025 was on the theme of ‘Beyond Boundaries: Co-creating Future Automotive Value Chain’. The idea was to foster collaboration and innovation across the automotive and mobility sector. For long, the Indian automotive market has been seen as a global trend follower, but now with the focus on manufacturing, technology and software-era, the country is becoming a globally major driving force.

The event spread across 100,000 square metres is said to have attracted around 983,522 visitors in the course of six days. It also hosted over 800 exhibitors, more than 500 delegates and conducted 20-plus conference with over 2,500 delegates in the span of six days. Interestingly, exhibitors had a total of 239 launches across all the concurrent shows, which is amongst the highest-ever recorded in India or probably the world.

What’s interesting to note is that, unlike most automotive global shows, the focus on different mobility ecosystem meant that exhibitors and visitors alike could have much more fruitful interactions, discussions thus leading to significant business opportunities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the Expo on 17 January 2025, had said, “The entire mobility industry, the whole government and the whole nation have come together for this expo. Driven by the aspirations of the people and energy of the youth, India’s automobile sector is witnessing an unprecedented transformation.”

One of the key industries that has been working exhaustively behind the scenes to support the future of mobility is the tyre segment, as their products are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road. And with the focus on sustainability at the forefront, tyre makers and allied players are increasingly stepping up their game to support the future of mobility.

INTERNATIONAL TYRE SHOW 2025

The Indian tyre industry is pegged at more than USD 11 billion (2022-23) with exports of around USD 2.9 billion (2022-23). The country is home to more than 28 tyre makers operating 62 plants, showcasing the robust domestic demand and also the manufacturing prowess.

It was no surprise that a dedicated event was planned, where more than 30 companies across tyre makers and suppliers presented their solutions and services to showcase their latest offerings. Some of the companies present at the event include Amazon Web Services India, Apollo Tyres, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, Bansal Wire Industries, Bridgestone India, Ceat, Eco Crumbs & Reclaim, Emerald Tyre Manufacturers, Epsilon Carbon, Fabhind, Fornnax Technology, GoGreen Enterprises, Goodyear, GRP, Himadri Speciality Chemical, INDAG Rubber, Indo Green Enviro, IRMI, JK Tyre & Industries, L&T Rubber Processing Machinerv, Madura Industrial Textiles, Michelin India, MRF, Neo Wheels, Parker Lord, Rajratan Global Wire, Ralson (India), Rubber Board, Rubber King Pvt Tyres, Sai Commodities, Sanathana Analytics and Recruitment Services, SRF, Tata Chemicals, Test Industry, Triton Valves and Tyreloop Intermesh.

For tyre makers, besides displaying their popular products, a key focus was seen on showcasing their innovation to support the electrification trend in the country. In addition to using sustainable materials, electric vehicle (EV) tyres with foam-in tyre technology, which absorbs noise, was a key highlight at the event. On the other hand, the focus was on introduction of premium tyres; for instance, Apollo Tyres showcased the Vredestein tyre, which was being localised and supplied to a premium car maker in India.

Bridgestone India on its part showcased the ENLITEN technology-based tyres, which the company claims offer the ‘ultimate customisation’ that provides enhanced ride comfort, lower noise, superior wear life and improved fuel efficiency. The tyres are designed for both IC-vehicles, EVs and can support a variety of formfactors such as SUVs, CUVs, sedans and hatchbacks. The ENLITEN technology is claimed to reduce raw material consumption and lower carbon emissions at both production and usage.

RPG Group-owned Ceat showcased its all-terrain tyres, the CrossDrive range, EnergyRide built for electric scooters, Winload Series – premium tyres for truck and tyres for the farm, mining and off-road segment. JK Tyre & Industries launched two new tubeless truck & bus tyres, JDL XM & JUM XM, in the truck category.

Ralson Tyres took the opportunity to announce its entry in the Indian commercial vehicle segment with the introduction of its globally proven technology. It was in 2023 that the company inaugurated its Indore facility to mark its foray in the commercial vehicle tyre segment. The 60,000 MTPA plant is almost running at full capacity and serves the North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East market.

The event provided an opportunity not only for tyre manufacturers to introduce new products but also for key suppliers and partners to showcase their latest technologies. Michelin displayed its wide range of tyres from Lunar tyres and concept tyres to tyres made of recycled materials and high-performance commercial tyres.

Indag Rubber, a leading supplier of pre-cured tread rubber (PTR) solutions, introduced Win Master, which it claims is a revolutionary PTR brand that enables one of the highest 100,000-km mileage on radial tyres. This high on sustainability solution, it believes, will reduce operational costs and provide exceptional value to fleet owners.

Epsilon Carbon, a leading supplier of carbon black, launched Terrablack, its new product line, which is said to support tyre makers drive towards sustainability.

The company shared that Terrablack used recovered Carbon Black (rCB) and Tyre Derived Oil (TDO), which offers high-performance, eco-friendly solutions to meet the needs of both the tyre and non-tyre industries. It is said to have been extensively tested for 24 months. The Terrablack portfolio includes Terrablack 3310, engineered for heavy-duty applications like tyre treads, which provides superior wear resistance and durability, whereas Terrablack 6615 was designed for flexibility and resilience, ideal for tyre sidewalls, hoses, belts and sealing systems.

The company also announced its plans to establish a fully integrated tyre recycling plant in Karnataka, which is expected to go live by FY2026. This facility will recycle 30,000 tonnes of tyres annually and generate 9,500 tonnes of recovered carbon black and 12,000 tonnes of tyre-derived oil.

AUTO SHOW 2025

One of the most prominent highlights of the Bharat Mobility Auto Show 2025 was the Auto Expo, where legacy and new-age automakers wanted to showcase not only their newest offerings but also their global range and their imagination of what the future vehicles would look like.

It is interesting to note that a total of 90 vehicles were launched at The Auto Expo Motor Show 2025. A vast majority of them being electric and in some cases flex fuel and other alternative powertrains.

In the passenger vehicle segment, Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, formally marked its entry in the EV segment with the e Vitara – a pure electric SUV with a claimed range of up to 500 km. Hyundai Motor India too introduced the Creta Electric SUV, its first EV offering on its most popular product in the country. VinFast, the Vietnam-headquartered auto maker, showcased its global product offerings across passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segment, which are expected to be introduced soon in the country.

The luxury segment saw the introduction of the BMW X1 Long Wheelbase All Electric; Mercedes EQS Maybach SUV 680 ‘Night Series’ and Maybach GLS 600; JSW MG Motor India unveiled its premium affordable brand ‘MG Select’ and the first of its two offerings, the MG Cyberster and MG M9. Porsche India unveiled two groundbreaking EVs, the all-new Macan SUV and the updated Taycan sports saloon.

Tata Motors launched the new Tata Sierra, while Kia brought the new EV6. Skoda Auto India showcased its global portfolio along with concept vehicles. Other key highlights included the Suzuki Motor India’s Access electric scooter, Gixxer SF 250 Flex Fuel; Hero MotoCorp’s Xtreme 250R & Xpulse 210 motorcycles and Xoom 125, Xoom 160 scooters and Vida V2 e-scooter; Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India revealed the prices of the Activa e: and the QC1 e-scooters and Vayve Mobility showcased Eva, a solar panel integrated micro car for urban commute.

In the commercial vehicle space, Tata Motors, VE Commercial Vehicles, Eka Mobility, Ashok Leyland, Switch Mobility, Cummins India, SML Isuzu, JBM Auto, TI Clean Mobility, Omega Seiki Mobility and Olectra Greentech showcased their product offerings across ICE and EV offerings.

COMPONENTS SHOW 2025

Right over at the recently opened Yashobhoomi, the Auto Components Show 2025 was home to over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing their products and solutions for supporting the automakers in their quest for sustainability.

Spread across 70,000 square metres, it attracted almost 100,000 visitors with 60 new product launches, interactive forums and engaging activities. Component makers across tier-1, tier-2, tier-3 and ancillary industries took the opportunity to not only showcase products for IC-vehicles and EVs but also presented live demonstrations for manufacturing and shopfloor activities.

This state-of-the-art exhibit featured transformative solutions shaping the future of transportation, from contributors like Bosch, HCLTech, Tata Elxsi, KPIT, QuestGlobal, and Capgemini, alongside other startups and mobility service providers.

The component makers proved their mettle by showcasing not just made-in-India but also designed-in-India products. Some of the key exhibition included DGMS-compliant safety technologies by Novus Hi-Tech to revolutionary Paint Protection Films by ALP Group, advanced EV solutions by BorgWarner and ParaSafe’s Jacket and Jeans designed specifically for motorcyclists, delivery personnel and high-risk users, representing a transformative leap in personal safety and mobility.

To conclude, the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 offered a comprehensive glimpse into the future of mobility, from software-driven innovations to sustainable manufacturing practices. With its broad focus on passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, tyres and components, the event underscored India’s emergence as a global leader in the automotive sector.

As India continues to champion sustainability, technology and localisation, Bharat Mobility Global Expo is slated to play a pivotal role in shaping the global automotive landscape.

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Nokian Tyres has announced the promotion of Tiina Frazer to Senior Vice President of Brand, Marketing and Communications, effective 1 August 2026. In addition to her new executive role, she will join the company’s Management Team, operating from the headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and reporting directly to President and CEO Paolo Pompei.

Frazer originally joined the Finnish tyre manufacturer in September 2025 as Vice President for the same functional area. Her professional background includes a tenure as Vice President of Brands and Marketing at HKFoods Finland Oy, along with prior senior leadership roles at Lumene, Roche Pharmaceuticals and Fiskars, bringing extensive cross-industry experience to her expanded responsibilities.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “I am delighted to welcome Tiina to the Nokian Tyres Management Team. Her experience in building impactful brands make her an excellent addition to our team as we continue to strengthen our premium position in our key markets.”

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Fornnax Technology has taken a decisive step to strengthen its European footprint by formalising a service partnership with industry veteran Lukas Baur of NOBA Maschinenservice. The agreement, ratified by company CEO Jignesh Kundaria, transitions the Indian manufacturer’s support model from remote coordination to an on-the-ground operational presence. This strategic alignment is designed to address the growing demand for immediate technical intervention across the continent’s recycling sector.

Based in Worbis, Germany, Baur commands a fully integrated service infrastructure that includes a 1,000-square-metre workshop fitted with a 5-tonne crane system, a dedicated hydraulic bay and specialised tooling for bearing replacements. His mobile response unit comprises 12 Mercedes Sprinter vans and a workforce of 24 certified technicians, enabling rapid deployment across a 1,000-kilometre radius. This setup guarantees that Fornnax customers can expect emergency assistance within 24 hours of a service call.

Baur’s professional history spans over 20 years of hands-on work with prominent shredder brands such as Eldan, Lindner and Vecoplan, giving him intimate knowledge of the operational challenges faced by European plant operators. His decision to join forces with Fornnax was driven by the manufacturer’s distinctive combination of competitive pricing, rugged construction and advanced wear-resistant engineering. He recognised that the current market turbulence – marked by tight margins, postponed capital expenditures and a dwindling labour pool – demanded a partnership capable of delivering both technical depth and logistical speed.

Under the new arrangement, Baur assumes full responsibility for the entire equipment lifecycle, covering system commissioning, scheduled upkeep, urgent breakdown recovery and the supply of mechanical, hydraulic and electrical components. He has also expressed a long-term vision to transform his Worbis facility into a regional spare parts consolidation centre, particularly if Fornnax opts to stock inventory at that location. To match anticipated growth, he plans to augment his fleet and technician count by two to three units annually.

This collaboration signals Fornnax’s broader commitment to building a dedicated European service network rather than relying on generalized support structures. With Baur’s proven capabilities now formally integrated, the company aims to deliver faster resolution times and technically nuanced assistance that aligns with the high-throughput demands of modern recycling operations. The partnership ultimately positions Fornnax as a formidable contender in the European shredding equipment landscape, with service excellence as its cornerstone.

Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax, said, "We strongly believe that by continuously improving our service quality and customer satisfaction index, we can build long-term relationships with our customers. Higher customer satisfaction leads to greater trust, which significantly increases repeat orders and ultimately drives sustained growth in our sales revenue."

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Apollo Tyres is accelerating investments in manufacturing technology, artificial intelligence and international expansion as the company seeks to strengthen its position in premium tyre markets while expanding its global production footprint.

The tyre maker said its long-term strategy, branded Momentum 2.0, is centred on financial discipline, product premiumisation, manufacturing expansion and sustainability, following a year in which it outperformed the industry across several segments and delivered strong international revenue growth.

The company has reinforced its global manufacturing network, operating six manufacturing facilities across India and Hungary and two global R&D centres in Chennai and the Netherlands. Its products are now sold in more than 100 countries, supported by continued investments in research, development and an expanding global distribution network.

Apollo is also increasing investment in digital manufacturing, describing technology as a key driver of future competitiveness. During FY26, the company rolled out its Advanced Manufacturing Execution System (AMES) across major manufacturing plants, enabling real-time production monitoring, end-to-end traceability and greater integration between factory operations and enterprise systems.

To accelerate digital transformation, Apollo established a dedicated AI Innovation Unit that is developing artificial intelligence and machine-learning applications for manufacturing, engineering and business operations. The company said generative AI and agentic AI assistants are being deployed to improve simulations, operational planning and enterprise-wide decision-making, positioning AI as a core element of future factory operations.

Research and development remains another strategic investment priority. Apollo said it invested INR 460.87 million in R&D during FY26 while establishing advanced DoJo Centres at its Chennai and Andhra Pradesh facilities to strengthen engineering capabilities and accelerate product innovation.

International manufacturing continues to underpin Apollo's export ambitions. The company's Gyöngyöshalász plant in Hungary has become a strategic hub for serving European markets, allowing Apollo to manufacture closer to customers while strengthening supply-chain resilience amid evolving global trade dynamics.

Management said Europe remains a key growth market, particularly in premium passenger car tyres, while North America offers opportunities through higher-value products. During the year, Apollo expanded its dealer network by adding more than 250 dealers across the United States and Canada, strengthening distribution for the Vredestein brand and improving access to replacement markets.

Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, energy price volatility and changing trade policies, Apollo said it would continue investing in innovation, operational efficiency and manufacturing excellence rather than slowing capital deployment.

Looking ahead, the company said it will maintain a disciplined capital allocation strategy while continuing investments in product innovation, brand building, manufacturing efficiency and digital transformation, with a strong focus on improving return on capital employed and supporting sustainable long-term growth in both domestic and export markets.

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CEAT will invest about INR 12.05 billion to expand its manufacturing capacity by roughly 53,000 tyres a day over the next five years, as the RPG Group company prepares for sustained demand growth while reporting a weaker first-quarter profit.

The investment, which will be implemented in phases through the end of FY2031, will be financed through a mix of internal accruals and debt. The expansion comes as CEAT's existing manufacturing facilities are operating at around 95 percent capacity utilisation, with the company stating that production at its Nagpur two-wheeler tyre plant is approaching full utilisation. The additional capacity could be created through greenfield and/or brownfield expansion, depending on internal assessments.

The capital expenditure announcement accompanied CEAT's results for the quarter ended June 30, which reflected resilient revenue growth but pressure on profitability.

Standalone revenue from operations rose 18.2 percent year on year to INR 41.63 billion, from INR 35.21 billion a year earlier. However, net profit declined 27.4 percent to INR 980 million, compared with INR1.35 billion in the corresponding quarter last year. Profit before tax fell to INR 1.32 billion from INR 1.81 billion.

Material costs increased sharply to INR 28.80 billion from INR 22.39 billion a year earlier, reflecting continued input cost pressures, while finance costs and depreciation also rose. Total expenses increased to INR 40.46 billion, compared with INR 33.63 billion in the year-earlier period.

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