TESS Conference sets agenda for technology, safety and skilling in tyre sector

The first edition of two-day TESS Conference which culminated recently in New Delhi focused sharply on technology, environment, safety and standards aspects in tyre sector.

Organized by Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) on the occasion of golden jubilee of its technical wing Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC), the event was attended by over 350 participants from India and abroad.

In one of the biggest such gatherings, around 20 chosen international experts made presentations on topics ranging from tyre regulatory framework to standards implementation and environment conservation. An entire second day of the conference was focused on road safety where experts from Indian Institutes of Technology and leading research institutes participated.

Given India's rising stature in the automobile ecosystem, delegations from European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA), European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO) and Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) held parleys with their Indian counterparts on the sidelines of the conference with a view to share the agenda for international regulatory framework and the way ahead for sharing experiences, technologies and practices.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister for Skill Development made a keynote address with an impassioned plea for making Indian tyre sector more competitive through robust skilling framework. Guest of Honour Ms. Sheela Thomas, Secretary General Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) exhorted the industry to help increase efficiencies in rubber plantations and other raw materials so as to make the most of raw material availability. She admired industry's contribution in increasing quality of domestic natural rubber. Mr. Sanjay Mitra, Secretary Ministry of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping asked for a collaborative approach by all the stakeholders for improving road safety in India.