Interview With A Tyre Leader_PK Mohamed_Apollo Tyres

| LEADER - INTERVIEW |
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Apollo Chennai Plant
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platform. Even though, initially we had
many problems with the performance of
the tyres, we as a team solved them one by
one. And ultimately the tyre became the
volume, quality and price leader in the
Indian market. Production of this tyre
increased from initial 6000 tyres to over
500,000 per annum.
3. Third task was given to me by our young,
dynamic leader Neeraj Kanwar in the year
2006. This was the development of TBR
tyres with excellent durability, to establish
the same in the market place, and earn
brand leadership similar to the global
competitors. During that time all
companies, except JK, were struggling hard
to establish their TBR tyres in the market
place. JK’s TBR tyre, JDH was very well
known in the load segment and our
challenge was to create a product credibly
competing with JDH in the Indian market.
Apollo was well known for the production
of high quality bias tyres then but our
knowledge and experience in truck radial
“On the strength of great
belief on our capabilities, and
technological knowhow,
Neeraj Kanwar decided to set
up a new plant with the
capacity of 2 million tyres per
annum in Chennai.”
tyre technology were not tested at all. On
the strength of great belief on our
capabilities, and technological knowhow,
Neeraj Kanwar decided to set up a new
plant with the capacity of 2 million tyres
per annum in Chennai. After taking this
decision, he gave the responsibility of
setting up plant and selection of
equipment to K. Prabhakar and process
and product development to myself. We
had sleepless nights because we did not
have a proven product, process technology
and an established market. But myself and
K. Prabhakar worked like a single soul,
Know A Leader - Rubber & Tyre Machinery World | JAN 2016