National tyre industry body Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), which represents 11 large tyre companies in India accounting for over 90% of tyre production, emphasised the increasing importance of maintaining the high quality of natural rubber as a raw material to produce high-quality tyres in the country.
ATMA Chairman Satish Sharma said that the country’s tyre manufacturing sector is converging in research and development (R&D), automation and technology. Quality of natural rubber as a key determinant of end product quality needs to go up the curve to keep pace with the changing scenario in manufacturing, he added.
He also pointed out that R&D spend by major tyre companies in India has gone up three fold from 0.6% of revenue five years ago to more than 2% now.
However, quality of tyres is largely determined by the quality of raw materials used and that is where the quality and consistency of natural rubber, the principal raw material assumes significance, he pointed out.
“Being the largest consumer of natural rubber in India, tyre industry has a lot at stake when it comes to natural rubber quality and consistency delivered sustainably,” he said.
The demands and expectations of auto sector and motorists from tyres have gone up manifold. Tyres are expected to meet the mutually diverse demands of grip, low rolling resistance, light weighting and fuel efficiency.
Very high-quality rubber is a critical raw material in manufacturing technologically superior tyres, especially new generation truck and bus radials. The quality of natural rubber and other raw materials is therefore paramount, Sharma added.