Advancement In Tyre Technology In India Since The Beginning

Disclaimer - All analysis and trends in the article are prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the effects
of which are still being observed in all industries, the automobile and in turn, the tyre industry
being negatively affected as well.

Introduction
Technology development in the Indian tyre industry has seen rapid changes in recent decades,
trying to understand, modify and implement international technology to suit Indian conditions. It
has also managed to emerge as one of the most competitive tyre markets due to the abundant
availability of raw material and modern production facilities. It wasn’t always the case though,
with India lagging behind international leaders for a vast majority of the last century.

After globalisation and with the markets opening up, India has managed to attract a majority of
the leading tyre manufacturers to set up shop in the country and a steady inflow of investments
has followed, a majority of which is directed towards the truck and bus radial tyre industry. The
radialization of tyres is one of the major driving forces for the market. While passenger cars
have been fully radialized, only 40% penetration has been achieved in the heavy vehicles
segment till 2017. The major players in the market today include MRF, JK Tyres, Apollo Tyres,
CEAT and Goodyear India.

Manufacturing Of Tyres
A single tyre is manufactured by assembling more than 250 raw materials, the main constituents
being natural and synthetic rubber, nylon tyre fabric, bread wire, carbon black, reinforcing non-
black fillers like silica, vulcanizing agents & antioxidants.

The various steps involved in manufacturing are as follows:

● Mixing of basic rubbers with multiple additives such as process oils, carbon black,
accelerators, pigments and antioxidants is the first step. This step is done in large blenders
called Banbury machines and has to be computer controlled to keep the mixture uniform
● The compound created in the previous step is then sent out for processing into sidewalls,
treads or other parts of the tyre.
● Assembly of the tyre is the next step. The first part focussed on is the inner liner, which is a
special rubber resistant to air and moisture penetration and replaces an inner tube. Then
come the body plies and belts, made from polyester and steel, these give the tyre strength
as well as flexibility.
● Strands of steel wire are implanted into the sidewall of the tyres in the shape of two hoops to
form the bead , which assures an airtight fit with the rim of the wheel. A ribbon coated with
rubber is used for adhesion, and the strands are aligned to it before being wound into loops
which are then wrapped together to secure them Eventually they are assembled with the rest
of the tyre.
● The tyre building machine gives a shape to the tyre in advance so as to check whether
components are placed in proper position before the tyre goes into the mold. The last part to
go on the tyre is the tread, pressed in by automatic rollers, forming the green or uncured tyre.
 ● The uncured tyre is then given its final shape and tread marks in a curing process. This is
done at over 300 degrees temperature for 10-25 min, which depends on their size.

Types Of Tyre
There are two types of tyre in popular use today, namely the radial tyre and the biased ply or bias
tyre.
● Radial Tyre - For increased structural integrity, they are constructed with perpendicular
polyester plies and crisscrossing steel belts underneath the tread. A smooth ride and
extended tyre life are some advantages. They are generally used for long-haul towing, travel
trailers, toy haulers, larger boats and livestock.
● Biased Ply Tyre - This tyre variety consists of internally crisscrossing nylon cord plies at a 30
to 45-degree angle to the tread center line. Its advantages include a tough and rugged build
and increased sidewall puncture resistance. Major industries that rely on bias tyres include
construction, agriculture, marine and utility.

Cost wise, the radial tyre is 20-25% higher compared to the bias tyre.

RADIAL TYRE VS BIAS TYRE

Growth Of Tyre Industry In Last Century

The evolutionary life cycle of the Indian tyre industry is as mentioned below:

Phase Period Characteristics Policy Regime

Phase I 1920-35 There was no domestic production and all Liberal Imports
demand was satisfied through imports

Phase II 1936-60 Domestic production began by erstwhile Imposition of tariff &

trading companies: Dunlop, Firestone, non-tariff barriers on
Goodyear and India Tyre & Rubber imports
 Company

Phase III 1961-74 Indian companies-MRF, Premier & -Capacity expansion

Incheck- entered manufacturing sector and repatriation of
with foreign technology; licensing of profits of foreign
additional production capacity companies are
regulated
-Enforcement of
export obligation on
MNC
-Protection from
external competition

Phase IV 1975-91 Indian business houses like Singhania & -Delicensing of

Modi entering the scene & collaborating production
with MNCs, radial tyres introduced, -Imports are placed
vertical integration driving exponential under OGL with tariff
growth in tyre production & exports & non-tariff barriers

Phase V 1992-present External trade is liberalized alongside -Progressive

reduction in import duty, leading to re- reduction in import
entry of MNCs either independently or in duty
collaboration with Indian capital -Liberalized imports

Future Of Tyres
● Smart Tyres - Some of the advancements in this field could be the introduction of a
sensing core, active tread, performance sustaining technology such as to alter tyre
pressure as needed or to control the amount of rubber coming in touch with the ground
at any given moment. Ex - Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ tyre design
● Run-Flat Tyres - These tyres would basically be able to perform as well as normal tyres
do, while being able to function in case of a puncture, thus increasing driver safety and
reducing fuel consumption. Ex - BMW
● Environment Friendly Tyres - With climate change being in focus in all industries more
than ever before, moving towards renewable and biodegradable materials in production
and focussing on tyre technologies that help reduce fuel consumption would be the way
forward, and already multiple firms have started investing in R&D for such innovations.