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Truck tyre radialisation to be a focus at second staging of Tyrexpo India in Chennai

A major focus at next year's Tyrexpo India exhibition in Chennai will be the huge development towards increased radialisation of TBR (truck and bus radials) in India.

Event organiser ECI International has identified truck and bus tyre radialisation as one of the most topical issues for the domestic market and will reflect this in the structure and content of the three-day exhibition.

"Indian and international tyre manufacturers are making huge investments in new production capacity for TBR radials for the domestic market," says Paul Farrant, managing director of ECI International. "We want to reflect that dynamic trend at Tyrexpo India by creating a focus on truck tyre manufacturing, with tyre makers, technology experts, materials suppliers and service providers making a contribution to the show."

Due to a variety of factors, including poor roads infrastructure, heavily overloaded commercial vehicles and a subsequent lack of OEM demand, TBR radials account for just 10% to 15% of the huge commercial vehicle market.

But with government plans to build 35,000 kms of new roads over the next two years, the 2005 Supreme Court ruling on the overloading of trucks and increased interest from CV and bus manufacturers, the picture is set to change radically.

Between them, Indian tyre makers Apollo, BKT, Bridgestone India, Ceat, Dunlop India, Falcon Tyres and JK Tyre are in the process of commissioning or building more than a dozen new tyre factories, with many of them dedicated to producing truck and bus radials. Industry estimates predict that by 2013 there will be an additional 25% manufacturing capacity for TBR radial tyres. And it's not just Indian companies who are driving this sea change. Michelin is reported to be investing US$800 million in its new Chennai plant, which will have a capacity of 300,000 radial tyres, and Continental is said to be spending 50 million Euros to increase its truck radial capacity in India by 2013.