JK Tyre & Industries, a leading tyre manufacturer, has said that it has become India’s first tyre manufacturer and 16th Indian business to join RE100, a global initiative that is committed to 100 percent renewable electricity.

As part of its focus on sustainability, JK Tyre aims to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by 50 percent by 2030, taking FY2019 as the base year. Furthermore, it also aims to go beyond just meeting the regulations and be more proactive towards reducing its overall carbon footprint.

The RE100 initiative is led by Climate Group, which aims to accelerate transition towards clean energy both through direct investments from its members, as well as by working with policymakers. Currently, it has over 400 members globally, who together account for generating revenue of more than USD 6.6 trillion. Its members represent 1.5 percent of global electricity consumption, more than the total annual demand of the United Kingdom.

Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre, said, “Our decision to join RE100 represents our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility. Under the motto ‘today for tomorrow,’ we at JK Tyre believe that a sustainable future requires significant action today. As an environmentally conscious brand, energy efficiency and conservation remain at the top of our priority list. We take pride in joining world leaders in promoting this shift towards renewable energy and look forward to inspiring constructive change in the industry.”

Dr Divya Sharma, India Executive Director, Climate Group, said, “JK Tyre’s decision to procure 100 percent renewable electricity for their operations by 2050 is a milestone commitment. It shows that renewable electricity can indeed be considered for large scale, intensive manufacturing needs. We welcome them into the RE100 network and look forward to working with them – and to their progress.”

It is interesting to note that JK Tyre has set a primary objective to incrementally increase the utilisation of renewable energy by 2-5 percent annually. At present, 40 percent of the company’s energy consumption uses renewable energy.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

PCBL Chemical has named Rituraj Singh Kalra as Executive Director and Chief – International Markets (Rubber Blacks), effective 9 November. The Kolkata-based company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Kalra will also serve on its Senior Management team and will be based in Belgium.

Kalra brings roughly three decades of expertise in international sales, marketing and business strategy, with senior leadership roles at Bekaert, GKN Driveline and MAHLE. He will oversee operations across Europe, the Americas and key Asia-Pacific markets, lead the Innovation Centre and drive Green Carbon initiatives, prioritising close customer relationships, resilient supply chains and commercial and technical partnerships built on shared sustainability goals. He previously served as Senior Vice-President of Global Sales, Marketing and Strategy at Bekaert in Belgium and holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Leeds and an MBA from Warwick Business School.

The appointment strengthens PCBL's global ambitions as a unit of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, a conglomerate tracing its roots to 1820 that now generates about USD 5 billion in annual turnover and employs more than 55,000 people. With over six decades of operations behind it, PCBL stands as India's largest and the world's sixth-largest carbon black manufacturer, positioning itself as a global partner across carbon black, speciality chemicals and advanced materials.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Tyrecycle CEO Jim Fairweather has stepped down after more than 10 years as President of the Australian Tyre Recyclers Association (ATRA), passing the role to Leigh Cometti, Managing Director of CTS Tyre Recycling. Fairweather will remain involved with ATRA and the wider industry.

His departure closes a period in which the association and Tyrecycle jointly pressed government to adopt the prohibition on exporting whole-baled waste tyres. That measure stopped such shipments reaching developing markets, where poor handling, storage or disposal could endanger human health and the environment, and it pushed the sector towards more accountable end-of-life tyre management and more processing and recovery on Australian soil.

Tyrecycle describes engagement with bodies like ATRA as central to its aim of building up the country's tyre recycling and resource recovery sectors. The company argues that recyclers, governments, regulators and other parties must work together if tyre recovery is to rise and end-of-life tyres are to be handled better nationally.

Looking ahead, ATRA has flagged several priorities: lifting off-the-road market recovery volumes, tightening compliance and enforcement, maintaining close ties with State and Federal regulators and pursuing regulatory changes that leverage existing Australian recycling capacity. Tyrecycle says it will keep contributing its experience, expertise and national outlook to ATRA and its members.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), the apex body representing tyre companies in India, has requested the Government of India to allow temporary duty-free imports of natural rubber under a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) mechanism.

The request follows an increase in domestic natural rubber prices to INR 300 per kg, representing a rise of nearly 62 percent from the November 2025 average of INR 186 per kg, alongside supply shortages during the peak production season.

In a letter submitted to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the association proposed limiting the duty-free import quota to the assessed deficit between domestic demand and supply until market conditions stabilise.

During FY2025-26, India produced 905,000 tonnes of natural rubber against a consumption volume of 1.42 million tonnes, creating a supply gap of nearly 37 percent. Tyre manufacturers are simultaneously managing cost increases in synthetic rubber, carbon black, petroleum-based inputs and freight expenses driven by crude oil price movements linked to events in West Asia.

India's tyre industry generates an annual turnover of approximately INR 1,000 billion and exports exceeding INR 270 billion, having recorded 16 percent YoY export growth in Q1 of FY2026-27.

Arun Mammen, Chairman of ATMA, said, “Tyre manufacturers rely on the peak tapping season to secure domestic rubber for their production schedules. This year, supplies are falling short even during these months, while procurement costs have risen sharply. A temporary duty-free quota, limited to the assessed shortfall, would help manufacturers maintain production while protecting the interests of domestic rubber growers.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced that Mark Stewart has stepped down from his roles as Chief Executive Officer and President of the company and has also left its board of directors, effective immediately. In his place, the company has installed board member Roger Wood as interim Chief Executive Officer, with Wood leading the tyre maker while a leading executive search firm helps the board identify a permanent successor.

Wood joined the board in 2023 and has spent over 30 years leading businesses in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. He was previously Co-Chief Executive of Tenneco Inc., which designs, manufactures and distributes clean air, powertrain and ride performance systems worldwide for vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket, and he holds board seats at PHINIA Incorporated and Brunswick Corporation. As part of taking the interim role, he has given up chairing the board's human capital and compensation committee.

Earlier this year, the board set up a special committee to scrutinise the company's businesses and operations, seeking ways to lift performance and deliver more value to shareholders. Directors and management are pursuing that effort through a wide-ranging assessment of strategic and operational options, among them refining the business mix and footprint, sharpening efficiency and funding new products and capabilities that underpin long-term growth. No further updates are planned unless and until the board concludes that more disclosure is warranted or required.

In a separate announcement dated 27 October 2026, Goodyear said Jerome Rouquet will become Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on 1 December 2026. Rouquet, now Chief Financial Officer at Visteon Corporation and formerly a senior finance executive at Tenneco and Federal-Mogul, takes over from interim Chief Financial Officer Scott Deakin, who will help ensure a smooth handover.

Joe Hinrichs, Goodyear Board of Directors Chair, said, "Goodyear has made meaningful progress in becoming a more efficient and focused company, and the board believes this is the right moment to transition leadership to accelerate that progress and capture additional opportunity. Roger brings extensive automotive and industrial CEO experience, deep operational expertise and strong relationships across OEMs and aftermarket customers. He knows Goodyear, understands the opportunities ahead and has the board's full confidence to bring heightened focus and urgency to execution while we conduct a thorough search for a permanent CEO. We thank Mark for his contributions to Goodyear.

"The board formed a special committee earlier this year to conduct a rigorous strategic review of the company to help strengthen performance and create shareholder value. The board, together with the Enterprise Transformation Office, is evaluating a broad range of strategic and operational opportunities, and we are committed to taking the right actions to position Goodyear for stronger performance and long-term success. We look forward to providing an update as this work progresses."

Wood said, "Goodyear has iconic brands, talented people and significant opportunities to improve performance and deliver long-term value. As I step into this role, my immediate priorities are to support our associates and customers, sharpen execution and build on the work already underway to advance Goodyear's transformation. I look forward to working closely with the board, leadership team and the Enterprise Transformation Office to advance the strategic review and translate that work into actions that strengthen performance and position Goodyear for long-term success."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!