Apollo launches new light truck tire brand for India

Kochi, India – Catering to the growing demand for the pick-up trucks in India, Apollo Tyres has introduced a new brand of tires for this segment of vehicles.

Developed at the company’s R&D centre, in Chennai, India, the EnduMaxx LT tire has been designed for the country’s “terrain requirements”, Apollo said in a 14 June statement.

Apollo will be manufacturing the tires at its Vadodara, Gujarat, production plant which has the capacity to produce 80,000 units per month.

“A cross-functional team from R&D, manufacturing, service, business quality and marketing identified the gaps… which helped in developing the new product to suite the Indian market,” said Satish Sharma, president, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Apollo Tyres Ltd.

In developing the new tires, Apollo said it adopted a 360 degree approach covering various aspects of tire construction, design, process and compound.

The tires have been designed for “superior durability, mileage and fuel efficiency,” said Apollo, adding those features were the primary requirements in this segment of vehicles.

The company said it had adopted new technologies such as tension optimised contour ply with robust belt package, to increase uptime and lower heat built-up.

Apollo also improved its process technology to enhance durability and reduce fuel consumption of the tires. The company release did not offer further details on this.

The new tire also features a new tread cap compound for improved tread mileage, cut and chip resistance and cooler running.

Apollo estimates that the Indian market for light truck radial category has a potential of 1.12 million units per month, growing at a “much faster pace than any other segment.”

According to Apollo, the light trucks market grew by 20% in India last year, due to the vehicles’ operational economics and uptick in rural demand.