Strengthening its product offering further in the Indian market, Apollo Tyres has just announced the introduction of its premium 
European brand, Vredestein, in India. The announcement was followed by a complete adrenalin rushing ‘Driving Experience’ for Vredestein tyres, in association with Audi India, at the F1 Circuit in Greater Noida.
The Vredestein brand, known for its designer and high quality tyres, is entering India with tyre sizes of 15” to 20”, primarily catering to the luxury coupes, premium luxury sedans and SUVs, with speeds of upto 240-300 kph (speed rating of ‘V’ to ‘Y’). This, the company says, would complement the existing product range from Apollo Tyres in the passenger vehicle tyres space.
The tyres being introduced currently, under the Vredestein brand, are Ultrac Sessanta, Ultrac SUV Sessanta, Ultrac Cento and Sportrac 5, all with the signature touch of renowned automobile designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Vredestein’s ongoing commitment to excellence has also been ratified by some of the renowned German, Austrian, Dutch and Swiss automotive and touring publications in the recent past by giving high ratings to these tyres.
Commenting on the introduction of the Vredestein brand into India, Mr. Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman, Apollo Tyres Ltd., said: “India has been and will continue to be a very important market for us. India will benefit immensely from the globalisation efforts of the company. Our investments in R&D centres of excellence, positioning of the brand and other marketing initiatives will endear us more to the discerning Indian customers. A major differentiator for this 100-year-old brand, Vredestein, which we are introducing today for the Indian customers, is its premium styling and ultra high performance, the two most important factors considered by owners of luxury cars, before buying a tyre.”
Vredestein tyres will be distributed through a hand-picked set of business partners in India, mostly in the Tier-I and Tier-II cities. They would be sold through multi-branded outlets, including the existing Apollo Zones. As a new entrant into India, Vredestein has a distinct advantage of access to the robust network of Apollo Tyres, its trained sales force and the promise of 24-hour service.
Collaboration with Giugiaro
In the late 1990s, Vredestein teamed up with the renowned Italian automotive designer, Giorgetto, who was nominated as the ‘Car Designer of the Century’ by global automotive media in 1999. This signature of an Italian designer led to the recognition of Vredestein as designer tyres, which is still its unique selling proposition, along with the superior quality.
With a heritage older than 100 years, brand Vredestein’s unique story is best captured through its tagline – Designed To Protect You – which is also its brand promise. A winning combination of Dutch dedication and Italian elegance, Vredestein is best known for its premium high performance passenger vehicle tyres in both the summer and winter tyre category.
Manufactured at the state-of-the-art facility in Enschede, in The Netherlands, brand Vredestein is sold largely in the aftermarket and can be found adorning a whole range of luxury vehicles across the European Union, the US, the Middle East and China.
Sumitomo Rubber takes over Apollo Tyres South Africa
Apollo Tyres has announced the closure of the transaction with Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), wherein SRI takes over Apollo Tyres South Africa (ATSA), including the Ladysmith passenger car tyre plant and the Dunlop brand rights that Apollo had in 32 countries of Africa, for $60 million. Apollo retains the Durban plant which manufactures truck & bus radial (TBR) tyres and off-highway tyres (OHTs) used in the mining and construction industries.
Post this transaction, Apollo Tyres will continue to sell Apollo, Vredestein and Regal branded tyres in Africa, and at the same time focus on creating and strengthening its sales and distribution network across the continent. As agreed, both companies will also undertake contract manufacturing of their respective brands at each other’s facility to have locally manufactured products available for the market.
Commenting on the closure of the transaction with Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Mr. Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman, Apollo Tyres Ltd., said: “It has been a very eventful journey for us in Africa, since our entry in 2006 with the acquisition of Dunlop Tires International. This has given us a very sound understanding of the growing African market and helped us develop the market for our products in Latin America as well. Using South Africa as the base, we will now focus on brands where we own global rights, which we have already been selling in South Africa for the past few years, for the African and Latin American markets.”
The employees retained by Apollo in South Africa post this transaction closure will be working for the newly-formed company, Apollo Durban (Pty) Ltd. No jobs have been lost in this transaction between the two entities.