We had reported earlier that the tyre industry has also got a boom due to the heavy demand for cars in 2010 and the same seems to be continuing for the year 2011 as well. Barely has a month passed and everything looks so promising that tyre companies are ready to roll out their new brands and versions in India. The early bird amongst them is definitely tyre giant Goodyear. Not only are they looking to launch bus and truck radials in the Indian market but they have already launched a specific product for the fuel conscious Indian buyers. The product is named as Assurance Fuel Max and it is a 15/16 inch tyre with very low rolling resistance. The company claims that not only will the tyre life be 15 percent longer but the fuel efficiency would also go up by 4%.
As of now, the company is only thinking of importing this special tyres but as and when demand picks up, the company would be looking to manufacture the same here in India. Obviously prices are on the higher side as compared to the others in its class. Also reported is that the tyre manufacturer is testing its truck and bus radials for the Indian conditions. It is estimated that this testing phase would be over within 18 months and after looking at the feasibility status of the tests, the radials would be introduced to the Indian customers. Currently the company manufactures only cross ply tyres. For the same, the company has a very small presence in the truck and bus tyre market. The company also says that India is one of their most important markets in the Asian zone and plans are on for further investment as well as expansion of the Indian subsidiary, Goodyear India.
