Continental has started production and distribution of radial truck tyres in India. The official launch event for the newly launched radial truck tyres though will be held on April 1 in New Delhi.

With this step, the global automotive supplier which acquired tyremaker Modi in 2011 has expanded its reach in India. It now has an initial annual production capacity of 220,000 radial truck tyres, a dealer network of more than 1,400 outlets and sales and customer service teams in more than 70 cities across India.

“Introducing Continental radial truck tyres into the Indian market is a momentous occasion for us. India is the second largest market for truck tyres in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) and we strongly believe that our premium technology products, manufactured locally and distributed through our Indian market organisation, will make Continental a preferred partner in the tyre replacement and original equipment business,” said Dr Andreas Esser, head of the Commercial Vehicle Tyres business at Continental. Investing in local production capacities is part of the company’s strategy to diversify its global manufacturing footprint and expand business in growing markets, such as India.

Continental has invested heavily in setting up a new production building alongside with machinery for making radial tyres. Furthermore, it brought experienced staff from some of its other international production sites to India to train local staff on the new machinery and production techniques. Also, more than 100 local employees were sent abroad to international production sites in Germany, Romania, China and Malaysia for comprehensive training in radial tyre 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 tyre plant. The strong manufacturing network supports excellence in operation, especially the case for the switch from producing bias tyres to radial tires, where the technology involved is more complex and requires additional know-how,” said Thierry Wipff, head of Manufacturing Commercial Vehicle Tyres at Continental.

The global supplier’s initial radial tyre product portfolio for India covers the Goods, People, and Construction segments. In the Goods segment, the HSR2 steer tyre and the HDR2 drive tyre promise  strong reliability and high mileage. For the People segment, there’s a dedicated coach tyre which offers a smooth ride, excellent mileage and directional stability. Rounding off the product portfolio are the high-tech HSX2 and HDX2 construction tyres.

The Indian truck tyre replacement market has a volume of approximately 14 million units per year, out of which almost 4 million units are radial tyres, whereas the other 10 million are bias tyres. Over the last five years, the market has not only grown by approximately 24 percent, but has also seen a strong shift towards radial tyres. It is expected that radialisation will gain further momentum in the next years.