MRF continues to lead the tyre industry with a strong focus on quality, innovation and customer satisfaction. With a presence in over 70 countries, MRF’s dominance spans across categories including commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, electric vehicles (EVs) and aircraft tyres. As India’s economic growth drives increased demand for commercial vehicles, MRF capitalises on this shift towards larger trucks and the expanding EV market. Additionally, the company’s technological prowess is evident in its supply of defence aircraft tyres. Despite challenges like rising rubber prices, MRF’s commitment to development and sustainable practices ensures its continued growth and global expansion.

MRF Vice Chairman and Managing Director Arun Mammen opined that India’s economic prosperity is leading to a demand for original equipment, which in turn is driving the volumes for commercial vehicle tyres upwards. Speaking to Tyre Trends on the sidelines of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, Mammen noted, “The commercial vehicle tyre segment is primarily driven by OEM demand. India’s economic performance is increasing commercial activity, leading to a higher number of trucks being sold. A notable trend in this segment is the shift towards larger trucks. This shift is primarily due to improved road infrastructure. Additionally, these trends see tyre volumes grow even in the replacement market.”

He added, “Government policies over the last 5–6 years have also played a crucial role in shaping the industry. The transition from BS4 to BS6, changes in axle load norms and various other regulatory developments have influenced tyre design and performance requirements. We have remained ahead of these changes, ensuring our products fully comply with government guidelines.”

The company theme for this year at the expo was ‘Muscle in Motion’, which highlighted MRF’s leadership, technology, innovation and sustainability.

MRF has been a leader in the tyre industry for 37 years, covering all categories. The executive noted that while competition was close in some segments, the company continued to have a leading position in tractors, trucks, light commercial vehicles, commercial vehicles and three-wheeler tyre segments. Its market leadership was further reinforced by its financial performance in FY 2023-24 with turnover of over INR 250 billion.

The company is experiencing double-digit growth, particularly in the first half of CY25, while most of the industry had struggled to achieve similar momentum. “We have consistently grown across all tyre categories including infrastructure, farm, two-wheeler and truck tyres,” revealed Mammen.

“Our ability to maintain market dominance for nearly four decades is rooted in a simple yet powerful philosophy, which is quality, customer focus and continuous innovation. We prioritise understanding customer needs and delivering better-thanexpected performance. This relentless pursuit of excellence ensures that we provide the best value for money,” said the official.

EXPANDING PORTFOLIO

A recent media report mentioned that MRF is seeing significant progress in the EV tyre segment, covering both OEM supply and the replacement market.

Exuding confidence for its EV tyre portfolio with the evolving automobile space in India, Mammen noted, “We are actively innovating in this space and a great example is our new EV tyre, recently supplied to Mahindra for its latest EV launch. This tyre incorporates a unique foam technology that significantly reduces noise, offering a quieter and more comfortable driving experience. With the growing adoption of electric vehicles, such advancements are crucial as EVs inherently produce less mechanical noise, making tyre noise reduction even more essential.”

He added, “Our tyres are fitted on several OEM vehicles including that of Maruti, Toyota, Honda and Bajaj models. The EV space will continue to grow as charging infrastructure improves, making electric mobility more convenient for consumers. While passenger vehicles and two-wheelers are currently leading the shift, we expect commercial vehicles to gradually follow suit as fleet operators gain confidence in battery technology and cost efficiency.”

Moreover, the company exclusively supplies tyres for Indian defence aircraft and helicopters with plans to expand the portfolio. Commenting on the same lines, Mammen revealed, “MRF supplies aircraft tyres to India’s defence forces including the Air Force and Navy. The majority of defence aircraft flying today are equipped with MRF tyres. The Indian Government does not import aircraft tyres unless we do not manufacture a specific type, further reinforcing our dominant position in this critical sector.”

MARKET TALK

MRF set up a new plant in Gujarat recently and ongoing expansions across multiple facilities are in process. Mammen noted that factories were continually being upgraded to meet evolving market demands. The company’s export business contributes between 10 to 12 percent in its total revenue, said Mammen.

The company currently exports to 70 countries worldwide. When asked about exploring new regions, the executive highlighted, “We are always looking for new opportunities for growth. A key example is our dominance in rally racing. We have been European champions for two years, beating multinational competitors, and in Asia Pacific, we have been rally champions for nine consecutive years. These victories highlight our engineering excellence and performance capabilities, opening doors to further expand our brand presence.”

Another trend within the Indian tyre market is Tyre-as-a-Service. Commenting on whether MRF plans to foray in the segment, he said, “Tyre-as- a-Service currently accounts for less than a single-digit percentage of the overall business. The limited adoption is due to challenging operating conditions. While some companies initially ventured into this space, many later exited due to difficulties in scaling the model. We continue to monitor this segment and will assess its potential for expansion in the future.”

TALKING ROADBLOCKS

The official identified the rising prices of rubber as one of the largest problems facing the tyre industry. Mammen explained that raw material costs account for about 70 percent of tyre production costs. As crude oil prices increase, the cost of production also rises, which is further impacted by fluctuations in the rupeedollar exchange rate.

“The price of natural rubber has remained high for a while and this is a challenge for many tyre manufacturers including us. India does not produce enough natural rubber to meet domestic demand, so we rely on imports to supplement local supply. This dependency on imports means we are exposed to fluctuations in global rubber prices, which can impact our overall cost structure,” said Mammen.

Despite the challenges, the company’s near-term research and development focus will involve both recycling raw materials and exploring green energy solutions such as energy and water recycling while also controlling wastage.

The company had made a Capex of over INR 21 billion in the previous financial year and nearly INR 7 billion in the first six months of the current financial year. These investments are directed towards areas with growth opportunities in truck, passenger and two-wheeler markets.

When asked about retail expansion, Mammen noted that there is always room for growth, both in expanding the dealer and retailer network and in online retail.

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Indian off-highway tyre maker maintains top supplier status in global recognition programme

Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT), one of the world’s leading off-highway tyre manufacturers, has secured the “Excellence Level” certification for the fourth consecutive year under Caterpillar’s Supplier Excellence Recognition (SER) programme, the Indian company said on Wednesday.

The recognition from the American heavy machinery giant underscores BKT’s sustained performance across quality metrics and delivery standards, reinforcing its position as a key supplier in the construction and mining equipment sector.

BKT’s partnership with Caterpillar dates back to 2015, when it began supplying tyres for the Indian market. The relationship has since expanded, with BKT now providing off-highway tyres for Caterpillar equipment ranging from 40 to 190 tonnes across various markets.

The Mumbai-based company’s certification journey began in 2017 with a Silver Level rating, followed by progressive improvements to Gold and Platinum levels before achieving the Excellence distinction in 2022.

Caterpillar’s SER programme evaluates suppliers across multiple criteria, including product quality, on-time delivery performance, technical support capabilities and operational feedback from field deployments.

“We are truly honoured to receive the Caterpillar Excellence Supplier Award. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction,” said Ludovic Revel, President Global OEM at BKT. “It is a testament to the dedication of our entire team and the long-standing business relationship with Caterpillar.”

The Excellence Level represents the highest tier in Caterpillar’s supplier assessment framework, reserved for partners demonstrating consistent performance and reliability across operational metrics.

BKT has distinguished itself through comprehensive customer support, including proactive communication channels and technical on-site assistance, according to the company statement.

“We are proud to share our global ambitions: to deliver excellence, sustainability, and performance at every corner of the world. We look forward to carrying on our support for Caterpillar’s success with the same passion and reliability that distinguish BKT Tyres,” Revel added.

The recognition comes as global demand for construction and mining equipment remains robust, driven by infrastructure development and commodity extraction activities worldwide.

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Michelin Connected Fleet North America has named Willem Moore as its new Chief Executive Officer. Having been with the parent company since 2019, Moore brings considerable leadership expertise from the technology and mobility sectors. In his new role, he will steer the company's mission to provide advanced fleet management solutions that enhance customer efficiency, safety and sustainability.

“Willem brings an extensive leadership experience in the technology and mobility arenas and will guide our mission to deliver innovative fleet management solutions that drive efficiency, safety and sustainability for our customers. His leadership will help us accelerate innovation while continuing to put our people, customers and partners at the centre of everything we do,” expressed the company.

Moore said, “At Michelin Connected Fleet, we help fleet customers unlock the power of data to accelerate their transformation. Thanks to connected technologies, real-time insights and personalised support. Because we go beyond tools by partnering with our customers. Our end-to-end approach combines smart hardware, advanced analytics and the strength of Michelin’s 130+ years of innovation and trust. I’m honoured to lead such a talented and passionate team across North America and to continue building strong, trusted relationships with our customers and partners. Together, let’s keep moving mobility forward!”

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Indian tyre manufacturer Tolins Tyres Ltd launched heavy-duty tractor rear tyres, completing its agricultural tyre portfolio as the company seeks to capitalise on India’s farming sector ahead of the harvest season.

The Kerala-based firm, which already produces tractor-trailer tyres, front tyres and tiller tyres, said the new product would enable it to offer farmers a complete tyre solution for tractors whilst opening fresh revenue streams in the agricultural market.

India’s agriculture sector, which employs nearly half the country’s workforce, is preparing for the upcoming harvest season that typically begins in late September. Tractor sales have remained robust in recent months as farmers invest in mechanisation to boost productivity.

Tolins plans to distribute the new rear tyres through its network of more than 1,200 dealers across India, ensuring availability during the critical farming period.

"The launch of our tractor rear tyres is a significant milestone as it completes our tractor tyre range, enabling us to serve farmers with a comprehensive solution," said Dr KV Tolin, promoter, chairman and managing director of Tolins Tyres.

"Agriculture remains at the heart of India's economy, and we are committed to supporting farmers with durable, high-performance products that enhance efficiency and reliability in the field. Backed by our strong dealer network of over 1,200 partners, this new offering will not only support farmers during the upcoming harvest season but also strengthen Tolins' position in the agricultural segment whilst opening new avenues of growth for the company."

The company said the timing of the launch would allow farmers to prepare their machinery ahead of the 2025 harvest season.

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In the tyre industry, it is very difficult to change a supplier. Once you are a good vendor for the tyre companies, it is very difficult to dislodge the vendor unless they have something really bad. However, post the recent pandemic in 2020, there has been a sea change in the mindset of the tyre companies.   

For a new vendor to enter into the mindset of a tyre purchase head, you have to go head over heels to promote your product and have various tests conducted. However, it still is a long and painstaking process, which could take years just to know that you have not been approved. The importance of getting the right raw material is very important because if the compound is not right, then there is a good chance that the tyre could fail and could lead to a very big lawsuit, especially If a consumer has had a near death experience. So the tyre company has to be 100 percent sure that the new raw material is much better, safer, durable and sustainable.

In the pre-Covid era, you could see that well-established suppliers who have been in the market for decades would not consider participating in an industry event as they did not feel the need because they felt they were well established in the market.

However, after Covid, many companies, especially the vendors, struggled to supply the raw materials to tyre companies due to various issues such as plant shutdown due to labour shortage due to Covid regulations, logistics issues such as lack of truck drivers and less availability of containers, political issues with certain countries, ongoing wars and disputes between countries etc.

So the tyre company purchase heads were compelled to look at other alternative suppliers. If you see the current situation, various tyre companies across the world are under stress as the plants in certain countries are not being viable to run due to various reasons. So they got to be mindful of their purchase of raw materials.

Many tyre companies have also vowed to go the sustainable route by having more ecofriendly materials. So the raw materials companies, whether new entrants or well-established players, have to keep working on innovative products that are sustainable as well as price-competitive.

Tyre companies and their suppliers participating in various forums, such as the recently concluded Tyre Materials Conference in Delhi on 24 June, is encouraging as it provides a platform for the tyre/retread companies to interact with their vendors to understand the changing requirements of tyre companies coming out with new solutions to have a better, safer and sustainable tyre out in the market. n

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