Apollo Tyres Changes Global R&D Structure

Apollo Tyres Ltd. has restructured its research and development operations across its three primary markets.

The new R&D structure links the entire organization along separate commercial and consumer tire product lines, with both groups reporting to Neeraj Kanwar, Apollo vice chairman and managing director.

“We have merged our research and development resources of nearly 250 individuals from Africa, Europe and India, under the leadership of two of our finest experts,” Kanwar said. “While commercial and personal vehicle tire development and testing will be located in India and The Netherlands, respectively, smaller teams across key markets will work on customizing each global product to market requirements and testing under local conditions. This structure allows for a sharper focus on basic research, increased usage of alternative raw materials and market-led product performance.”

P.K. Mohamed, chief advisor, will lead the commercial vehicle tire division, which will be housed on the same campus as the Chennai manufacturing facility.

Peter Snel, group head, will spearhead the passenger vehicle tire unit, from a new facility being set up in Enschede, Netherlands.

Mohamed is one of the founding members of Apollo’s technology journey in both commercial and passenger tires and is credited with some of the most successful tires manufactured to date. He continues to play a critical role in guiding Apollo’s strategic growth. Snel joined Apollo Vredestein over a decade back and has been a key member of the team that established Vredestein as a niche ultra high performance tire brand, according to the tiremaker.

Kanwar said the decision on location of the two centers was taken on the basis of current and potential commercial and passenger tire markets. The Middle East and Asia constitute nearly 59% of the global commercial tire market, he noted, while Europe and North America comprise 51% of the world’s passenger tire sales. This would enable both the R&D units to have closer interaction with OE and replacement customers, testing centers, raw material suppliers and research institutes.

GRI recently conducted programs in Sri Lanka to empower women and motivate children under its Green x Circle initiative. The company said these endeavors aimed to address the needs of the community, focusing on both women empowerment and youth motivation.

GRI recently organized a training program titled "Management of household finance under current economic conditions" at the Ingiriya Rubber Collecting Center in Sri Lanka, South Asia led by Shashika Nimali, an NLP practitioner and life coach. The company said this initiative provided women in the industry with essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage household finances. GRI's tailored training sessions equipped participants with tools for informed decision-making, ultimately fostering greater financial security and independence, the company said.