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TYREXPO INDIA
Cochin Rubber Expand in the Middle East
Kerala based tread maker Cochin Rubber is expanding in the Middle East by setting up a number of retreading plants in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Indian company’s most recent developments are two retread plants in Jubail, an industrial city located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf coast.
“We have opened two retreading plants in Jubail, retreading around 800 tyres each every month,” informed Junais Kaniyath, the Managing Director of Middle Eastern Retreading Solutions LLC,
a new venture floated by Cochin Rubber in February to support its retreading plants in the region. The new factories join Cochin’s first overseas retreading plant, which is located in Jeddah and retreads around 1,200 tyres per month. According to Kaniyath, the company will be opening a fourth plant in the Saudi Arabian capital shortly. “The Riyadh plant is expected to be operational after Eid this year,” he said. “The machinery has already been shipped from the Indian retreading equipment manufacturer Rajmahal,” he
running and, depending on market feedback, we are expecting to instal a total of between three and five machines in the retreading industry this year,” said Mario Goldmann, Head of Sales, Tyre Inspection, Steinbichler
more radialised and we are growing realistically in this price conscious market. Moreover, over a period of time, Indian companies are finding our machines suitable for radial tyres,” commented Goldmann.
added. The new plant will retread around 600 tyres per month. Middle Eastern Retreading
rubber manufactured at our Kerala plant,” said K aniyath.
In addition to its Saudi Arabian
Kraiburg Looking for Partner in India
Kraiburg is gearing up for a potential foray into the Indian market and is scouting for a local partner to open up the market for its product range in the growing retreading sector. “We are looking for a suitable partner who could manufacture tread under a license agreement,” explained Holger Dux, Director Sales and Marketing (Retreading), Kraiburg Austria GmbH & Co. KG, during an interview at the Tyrexpo India show in Chennai. “Direct entry is not possible in this market at the moment due to the price level difference between India and
however, is an exploratory one, according to Dux. “This is our first attempt to learn the dynamics of the Indian retreading market. We know the growth possibilities are there,” he said.
Kraiburg believes that the Indian retreading market is now beginning to open up for international brands with a number of foreign machinery and tread makers entering the market. As such, the Austrian company says it is open to all kinds of options to make its maiden India foray.
According to Dux, the company is
Holger Dux, Kraiburg’s Director of Sales and Marketing for the retreading sector
Austria,” he added.
This was the first time that the Austrian company had taken a stand at an Indian show but the seriousness of the company’s approach to the market was underlined by the presence of the head of Kraiburg’s retreading business unit at the show. The company’s current mission,
already in touch with one prominent South India based tread maker but nothing has been concretised at the moment. “We are in touch with Indian companies and holding initial talks for working together in the Indian market”, he said. “We are serious about India and hope to find a partner soon.”
Junais Kaniyath, Managing Director, Middle Eastern Retreading Solutions LLC
Solutions plans to source machinery from Rajmahal to supply its plants in the Middle East as well as other plants in the region. Moreover, the parent company Cochin Rubber will also supply precured tread rubber from its India facility. “The strategy is to consume the tread
factories, Cochin has established a plant in Muscat, the capital of Oman. “The plant is near the industrial area close to the Sohar international airport in Muscat,” said Kaniyath. The plant was established in 2011 and retreads around 350 tyres per month.
Steinbichler Positive about Indian Market
German tyre inspection machinery maker Steinbichler has sold two machines for truck and passenger car retreading in the Indian market recently and hopes to finalise more deals later this year. “Our two machines have been sold and are
Optotechnic GmbH.
Considering the size of the Indian market, Steinbichler is growing at a slow but steady pace, with the German company banking on increasing radialisation.“The Indian market is getting more and
Mario Goldmann, Head of Sales, Tyre Inspection, Steinbichler Optotechnic GmbH
40 Retreading Business