As much as 10 per cent of monthly sales of passenger car radial (PCR) tyres for JK Tyre & Industries Ltd is now coming from its smart tyres portfolio, which was launched in 2020. The company is witnessing an uptick in product sales, majorly from eastern India.
Smart tyres are inbuilt with sensors that provide consumers with real-time alerts of the tyre temperature and pressure during travel. The tyres also provide real-time information about their condition through the installed sensors.
“There is a large segment where smart tyres can be used. We got a solution with technology to address the concern. The demand is more in urban areas as well as places where it (the product) is off the highway. In Bihar, we have an encouraging sale of smart tyres,” said Anuj Kathuria, President, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd.
It may be noted that the company had, in December, launched a ₹3 programme to upgrade tyres to the smart technology.
Tyres for EVs
The company offers a range of tyres for electric two- and three-wheelers, and plans to improve its market share by partnering with the manufacturers directly.
“Many companies getting into electric mobility are not conventional car manufacturers, but start-ups. We are working with them to make products that deliver performance and are available at a reasonable price point,” said Kathuria.
Further, JK Tyres on Friday launched two new ranges of its SUV tyres — Ranger HPe and Ranger X-AT — in Mumbai. These tyres have been developed with Xpolymer3 technology, making them durable and fuel-efficient with increased safety, designed for Indian roads. The Ranger HPe tyres are designed to cater to EVs, while Ranger X-AT is designed to handle extreme terrains.
The company stated that it covers 90 per cent of the domestic tyre market with 721 touchpoints in Maharashtra and 1,800 in the western region.