Continental enters radial truck tyre market in India
Continental has taken another step towards its expansion plans in India. The manufacturer has announced its entry in to the radial truck tyre market. It will cater to goods, people and construction segments. The company has an annual production capacity of 2,20,00 radial tyres and will be providing its products through their network of 1400 outlets which spread across 70 cities throughout the country.
Continental has introduced the HSR2 steer tyre and the HDR2 drive tyre in the goods segment, coach tyre for the people segment and HSX2 and HDX2 tyres for the construction segment. In order to train its local staff on the new production machines and techniques it bought some of the employees from its international operations and also sent a number of local employees abroad for training.
India is the second largest truck tyre market in Asia-Pacific and Continental has elaborate plans for this country. It has invested heavily in to its facilities here and expects good sales in the expanding truck radial tyre market. Apart from new tyres the company is also targeting the truck tyre replacement market which is seeing rapid radicalization.
Speaking on this, Andreas Esser, head of Commercial Vehicle Tires business, Continental said, "Introducing Continental radial truck tires into the Indian market is a momentous occasion for us. India is the second largest market for truck tires in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) and we strongly believe that our premium technology products, manufactured locally and distributed through our Indian market organization, will make Continental a preferred partner in the tire replacement and original equipment business."
Continental announces Launch of Radial Truck Tires in Indian Market
| Continental starts production and distribution of radial truck tires in India Dealer network with more than 1,400 outlets and sales & customer service in 70 cities Local production capacity for initially 220,000 radial truck tires Faridabad, April 1, 2014: The international tire manufacturer and automotive supplier Continental has started production and distribution of radial truck tires in the Indian market. With an initial annual production capacity of 220,000 radial truck tires, a dealer network of more than 1,400 outlets and sales & customer service teams in more than 70 cities across India, Continental takes the next step in expanding its reach in India after acquiring Indian tire manufacturer Modi in 2011. "Introducing Continental radial truck tires into the Indian market is a momentous occasion for us. India is the second largest market for truck tires in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) and we strongly believe that our premium technology products, manufactured locally and distributed through our Indian market organization, will make Continental a preferred partner in the tire replacement and original equipment business," states Dr. Andreas Esser, Head of the Commercial Vehicle Tires business at Continental. Investing in local production capacities is part of Continental's strategy to diversify its global manufacturing footprint and expand business in growing markets, such as India. Continental has invested heavily into the construction of a new production building alongside with machinery for making radial tires. Furthermore, Continental brought experienced staff from some of its other international production sites to India in order to train local staff on the new machinery and production techniques. Also, more than 100 local employees were sent abroad to the international production sites in Germany, Romania, China and Malaysia for comprehensive training in radial tire production and technology. "We firmly believe that the personal training of our local staff through experienced experts from other production sites is a key factor for the successful ramp-up of a new tire plant. The strong Manufacturing network supports excellence in operation, especially the case for the switch from producing bias tires to radial tires, where the technology involved is more complex and requires additional know-how," remarks Thierry Wipff, Head of Manufacturing Commercial Vehicle Tires at Continental. Continental's initial radial tire product portfolio for India covers the Goods, People, and Construction segments. In the Goods segment, the HSR2 steer tire and the HDR2 drive tire offer strong reliability and high mileage. For the People segment, Continental launches a dedicated coach tire, which stands out through its smooth ride, excellent mileage and directional stability. The high-tech construction tires HSX2 and HDX2 round off the product portfolio with their excellent durability and strong off-road performance. The Indian truck tire replacement market has a volume of approximately 14 million units per year, out of which almost 4 million units are radial tires, whereas the other 10 million are bias tires. Over the last five years, the market has not only grown by approximately 24%, but has also seen a strong shift towards radial tires. It is expected that radialization will gain further momentum in the next years. With provisional sales of around 33.3 billion in 2013, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has more than 178,000 employees in 49 countries. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers, with more than 42,000 employees, the Tire division achieved sales of 9.7 billion in 2012. Today, the division has 22 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The Commercial Vehicle Tire business is one of the largest manufacturers of truck, bus and commercial specialty tires worldwide. Continental's Tire Division is an Official Sponsor of the German DFB Cup, 2014 FIFA World CupTM in Brazil and the UEFA EURO 2016TM in France. | |
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