Xtramiles, the Chennai-based franchisee of Marangoni, is set to shift to a larger facility in 2025, marking the next phase in its growth trajectory. Since launching its operations in April 2019, the franchise has become one of the key players in India’s tyre retreading industry, with a current production volume of 600-700 tyres per month.
A Strategic Start
Founded through its partners’ dedication and hard work, Xtramiles started with a modest monthly output of 70-80 tyres. Today, it is one of Marangoni’s flagship franchises in the country, providing retreading services to a wide range of bus, tipper, and truck fleets. These include around 40 bus fleets and approximately 60 tipper and truck fleets across Tamil Nadu.
“This is our first retreading venture, and we’ve built it on a foundation of passion and customer feedback,” said Idress Ismail, a partner at Xtramiles. “Our journey has been shaped by the lessons we’ve learned from our customers over the years.
Before launching Xtramiles, the partners conducted extensive market research across South India, meeting fleet owners and studying the local retreading landscape. They discovered that while the tyre retreading business presented several challenges, it remained a resilient and promising sector with significant growth potential.
“Our concept of ‘Retreading with a Difference’ became a reality when we decided to align with Marangoni,” Ismail explained. “We were eager to partner with a company that could introduce a new retreading system to India, such as Marangoni’s Ringtread. At the same time, Marangoni was searching for a suitable partner to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu. After initial consultations in December 2018, we began production in April 2019.”
The early days were filled with obstacles. Many fleet owners had negative experiences with retreading, challenging our ability to gain their trust. “We realised we had to do something unique to restore customer confidence, particularly in terms of service,” Ismail emphasised.
Service-Driven Success
Xtramiles focused on providing top-tier service and addressing a common grievance among fleet owners regarding substandard support. “Our priority was ensuring fleet owners were satisfied with the performance of our products. Word-of-mouth from satisfied customers helped introduce us to new fleets and transport associations,” he said.
One of the company’s key strategies was to showcase the performance of its retreaded tyres with the Ringtread system using a demo vehicle. This approach successfully convinced fleet owners to adopt Marangoni’s technology. Additionally, Xtramiles offers complimentary patch repairs on loyal customers’ casings when they return for retreading, further enhancing its service offering.
Xtramiles operates with a monthly retreading capacity of 1,200 but produces 600-700 tyres using a 6+1 autoclave. “We’ve taken a cautious approach to growth,” Ismail noted. “We don’t have deep pockets, so we focus on steady, sustainable progress. We’ve shifted to a 70% cash and 30% credit business model, which has helped us avoid falling into credit traps.”
The company serves a market within a 150 km radius of its Chennai site, but this is set to expand with its planned relocation.
Moving to a New Facility
Xtramiles is preparing to move from its rented premises to a new, larger factory by 2025. “We’re actively looking for a bigger property to expand our product range, including retreading for off-the-road (OTR) tyres,” Ismail shared.
In addition to expanding its retreading capabilities, Xtramiles is exploring new product lines, including rubber crumb-based products such as mats and two-wheeler components. This diversification will help the company strengthen its position in the rubber products market while continuing to grow its retreading operations.
As Xtramiles moves into this new phase, its commitment to innovation and service remains at the core of its business.
