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INDIA
Rajasthan OTR Retreader to Expand Size Range
largely used in road construction, while on the mining side, tyre sizes 1800/25, 1800/33, 2400/35 are also planned to be added shortly,” revealed Gaurav Maroo, Managing Director, Highway Tyre Retread.
Highway specialises in retreading earthmoving tyres from clientele engaged in marble, coal, phosphorus and lignite mining. It retreaed around 3,200 tyres last year of which a majority of 2,000 were truck & dumper tyres and rest being for JCBs, LCVs, and tractors.
As part of further expansion in the
OTR side, the company also plans to introduce an OTR tyre repair service. “OTR tyres running in the mines and quarries can have a variety of damages, which could be skillfully repaired. We have a skilled workforce, working with us for the last 40 years.”
The retread site based at Udaipur in the West Indian State of Rajasthan opened in 1990 and retreads multiple tyre sizes from bus and truck up to earth movers in both precure and hot processes. “A considerable part of our business comes from mining tyres as we have been catering to them for a considerable time,” explained Maroo.
One of the key OTR retreaders in Western India, Highway Tyre Retread, is slowly recovering from the lockdown phase. Sales are starting to move in a positive direction, and now the focus is on regaining lost ground. Competition in the TBR retreading segment is intense, putting pressure on operational margins, but OTR retreading remains a lucrative and profitable business.
In terms of overall volume, OTR numbers are less compared to TBR retreading, but the earthmover segment offers good returns. The companies that offer OTR retreading are now adding more sizes or services to maintain an edge over their competitors. Highway now plans to add new OTR sizes to further widen its range. “We are now planning to retread OTR sizes up to 23.5/25
Gaurav Maroo
Commenting on the Indian market he said, “The retread market is good, but now the competition will further intensify as retreaders compete for tyres in the market, which has opened up after the long periods of lockdown. Retread plants intend to retread to the maximum in order to regain lost business,” he said.
Highway has used a variety oftread rubber brands in the past but has recently shifted to Braza Tread. “Braza maintains good quality and is slightly higher in price compared to many other tread rubber brands available in the market. Moreover, we have long relations with our clients, and they only use good tread rubber to maintain quality standards,” he stressed.
To ensure quality and services, Highway uses special quality rubber compounds, keeping in mind the specific requirements of construction sites and the mining sector. “Our compounds include both Heat Resistant Compounds (HRCs) and Cut Resistant Compounds (CRCs), which help tyres to run without damage even in extreme conditions,” added Maroo.