Expanding its network further for branded retreading outlets, Apollo Tyres inaugurated on April 8 its third Apollo Retread Zone (ARZ) in Mumbai.
Mr. Rajesh Dahiya, Group Head, Sales – Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd., inaugurated the outlet in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai. With the objective of providing quality retreading service to truck-bus customers and fleet owners, these branded outlets are equipped with most advanced retreading machines, high quality tread material and trained workers.
Commenting on the network expansion, Mr. Satish Sharma, APMEA President, said: “As a dominant player in the commercial vehicle segment, especially in India, we are committed to providing 360 degree solution to our customers, which very much includes retreading as well, to enhance the tyre life of the end-user. The increase in usage of radial tyres in the truck-bus segment has increased the potential for retreading, and thereby the need for more such quality retreading outlets to service our customers.”
In addition to providing infrastructural support for these retreading outlets, Apollo Tyres also trains the employees of ARZ at its state-of-the-art Retread Research and Training Centre in Chennai. Seeing the demand for quality retread, which is not widely available in the country, the company is targeting to have 20 branded retread outlets by the end of this fiscal for a pan-India presence.
All truck-bus radials are capable of multiple retreads due to the strong carcass, and each retread costs only 25-27 per cent of the cost of a new tyre, while providing nearly 90 per cent of the mileage of a new tyre. The retreading industry in India is gradually getting more and more organised, and the customers are opting for multiple retreads on their tyres, and prefer the same to be done by the tyre manufacturers, instead of by unorganised players.
Apollo Tyres started with its ARZs in 2014; the first two outlets were opened in Jaipur and Chennai.