Antonio M.Capellini, chairman and managing director of Goodyear India, has reason to be happy. Despite severe competition from multinational and local brands, the company has carved out a niche market for itself. In the OTR tyre segment, it’s the market leader in the country. With an 18% market share in the passenger car radial segment, it is the only tyre company in the country approved by all car manufacturers for OEM supplies.

Capellini, who was in Kerala to visit the unique ‘Pit-shop’ of New Bharat Tyres, one of Asia’s largest tyre showrooms, expressed high optimism about the future of Indian tyre industry.

“With an expected GDP growth rate at 8%, the tyre industry is expected to grow at 10% every year,” he told Rubber Asia in an informal chat.

He also expressed his plans to make Goodyear Kerala’s No.1 brand by 2008. Presently, Goodyear has a market share of 18% in the passenger car radial segment in the country.
With the completion of its major expansion at its Aurangabad plant at an investment of Rs 800 million, its capacity has been raised to 1.8 million tyres. It also plans to open 42 branded tyre shops across the country, taking its distribution points to 8,200.

A Brazilian citizen, Capellini was born in Mexico and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration. He started his career at the Goodyear plant at Sao Paulo in Brazil and rose through the ranks at different Goodyear plants to reach the preset position. A fluent speaker in Portuguese, Spanish and English, he always keeps himself updated with the latest global management trends.

Capellini can look back with pride at the impressive performance of the company during the last financial year.