Apollo Tyres is expanding the use of digital and artificial intelligence-led tools across its manufacturing plants after technology deployed in tyre curing helped shorten production cycles.
“Cure data analysis through digital technologies has reduced curing cycle times and is being expanded across plants,” the company said in its FY26 annual report.
Curing is the stage in which an uncured tyre is placed in a mould and exposed to heat and pressure. This gives the tyre its final shape and physical properties. Shorter curing cycles can help raise plant output and reduce energy use.
Apollo did not disclose how much curing time had been reduced, the plants covered by the expansion or the expected cost and energy savings.
The company is also developing artificial intelligence and machine learning-based mixing systems to improve process consistency and reduce rework, according to the annual report.
Tyre production involves mixing rubber with fillers, chemicals and other materials. Apollo is working on technologies that can improve the dispersion of these materials and deliver more consistent compounds.
The programmes are focused on high-performance silica compounds and formulations that use sustainable materials. The company is also evaluating rubber preheating to improve filler incorporation, lower the energy used during mixing and produce more consistent compounds.
Apollo is separately using three-dimensional simulation in tread-die design. The technology has helped improve dimensional stability, tyre uniformity, manufacturing precision and the proportion of products made correctly on the first attempt, the report said.
Manufacturing Platform Deployed Across Plants
The new projects are part of a wider digital transformation of Apollo Tyres’ factories.
The company has completed the rollout of its in-house Advanced Manufacturing Execution System, or AMES, across all major manufacturing plants.
The cloud-based system gives Apollo real-time visibility into factory operations and links shop-floor equipment with wider enterprise systems.
Apollo said the programme had moved from deployment to a “value realisation” phase, with a focus on improving productivity, quality control and operating discipline.
The system has also enabled complete tyre-level barcode traceability across several radial and bias tyre categories. This allows the company to follow individual tyres through production and supports quality checks, compliance and warranty management.
AI Delivers Early Savings
Apollo has set up a dedicated AI Innovation Unit and is expanding AI applications across manufacturing, supply chain and research and development.
The company said the initiatives had already produced gains in productivity, energy efficiency, yield optimisation and decision-making speed.
An AI-based power-bidding application at Apollo’s Andhra Pradesh plant generated savings of more than Rs 1 crore within three months. Another AI tool reduced the time required for root-cause analysis by more than 90%, according to the report.
Apollo said several AI and machine learning concepts developed during FY26 would move towards product development in FY27. The company is also exploring generative AI, agent-based AI, digital twins, connected factory technologies and augmented and virtual reality.
Apollo has not disclosed its planned investment in these technologies or a plant-wise implementation schedule. However, the move shows that the company is shifting from small digital pilots towards wider use of AI in tyre production and factory management.