Exclusive interview with P. Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd.
TVS Srichakra, India’s leading manufacturer of two and three-wheeler tyres, has registered an excellent performance in the first half of this financial year and in particular in Q2 2014-15. The company revenue increased by 20 per cent in Q2 compared to the previous year with a significant improvement in its profitability.
In the Indian tyre industry which is more than 75 years old, TVS Srichakra is the youngest and a front-runner in the two and three-wheeler segments. It is one of the fastest growing companies in the TVS Group and is a prominent player in the international market having presence in more than 80 countries with its off-road tyres.
In an informal chat with R. Natarajan of MOTORINDIA recently, Mr. P. Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd., discussed his company’s performance in India and in the international arena. He said: “We have consciously remained a specialist in two-wheeler tyres. In the mid-1990s our company decided to venture into off-road tyres for fork lift, farm equipment, agriculture and multi-purpose machines, a decision which paid us well. Today our Exports have crossed Rs. 220 crores in off-road tyres, branded as TVS Eurogrip, to almost 80 countries where our products are well appreciated. In India we continue to be a major OE supplier to almost all two-wheeler manufacturers and commanding highest market share. In the aftermarket, we are doing significantly well, backed by its strong dealer network all across India, with a good increase in our sales and market share”.
Commenting on the company’s technology leadership, Mr. Vijayaraghavan proudly said: “With a sound Technical team and an excellent R&D setup, TVS Tyres have been bringing different types of technologically superior tyres for various new models and upcoming models of Vehicle manufacturers as well as in Aftermarket. We have launched 9 new products in the Aftermarket in the last 12 months and have increasing demand from the consumers thereby improving our sales and market share in this segment. We have done well to bring in Tubeless Tyres for Motorcycles and Scooters few years back and today, we are the largest manufacturer in this portfolio for two-wheelers”.
With its production units in Madurai and Uttarakhand, TVS Srichakra manufactures almost 1.9 million tyres a month with a capacity to expand further. It is understood that for a company of such magnitude there needs to be an excellent service network to reach every nook and corner of the country.
Talking about his company’s reach, Mr. Vijayaraghavan said: “Right from the beginning we have been concentrating on semi-urban and rural areas in addition to urban. We have tremendous reach all over the country with more than 4,000 dealers helping us. Customers from any part of the country, even in remote areas, have access to our tyres within a few hours.”
TVS Srichakra has the unique advantage of being the first company in the country to win the TPM Special Award for Operational Excellence in the tyre industry from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance. The company also continues to be a leader in different Quality Management techniques.
Mr. Vijayaraghavan who has been associated with the TVS Group for several decades has played a notable part in the company’s rapid growth over the years, tirelessly building up the customer base in all segments with his extensive travel and wide contacts globally.
Mr. Vijayaraghavan ended up to convey the good wishes and compliments of TVS Group to the MOTORINDIA family, for a Happy & Prosperous 2015, and expressed his happiness at decades old lovely association between TVS and MOTORINDIA.