Bridgestone looks to enter two-wheeler tyre segment in India

Japanese tyre major Bridgestone is looking to enter two-wheeler segment in India as it aims to become a leading player in the country.
The company, which today launched a fuel efficient range of tyres under the Ecopia brand for passenger vehicles, is not present in the fast growing two-wheeler tyre segment.
"We are aggressively looking to get into the two-wheeler tyre segment in India though nothing is finalised as yet. We are in the initial planning phase right now," Bridgestone India Managing Director Kazuhiko Mimura told reporters here.
The company, which aims to become the indisputable leader in the Indian market, however did not share further details on the two-wheeler foray.

Under the Ecopia range, it rolled out two tyre ranges -- EP150 and EP850 -- to cater to small- and mid-sized passenger cars like Swift and Amaze as well as sports utility vehicles like Scorpio and Fortuner.
The company claimed EP150 tyres will provide 7 per cent better fuel efficiency in passenger cars compared with the conventional ones, while the EP850 range would help in 10 per cent better fuel efficiency for the SUV customers.

"Through Ecopia's fuel efficiency, Bridgestone can contribute towards the reduction of CO2 emissions in India, while enabling Indian drivers to achieve fuel savings," Mimura said.

Bridgestone said it will launch 17 tyre sizes under the EP150 range for small- and mid-sized passenger vehicles, while 9 tyre sizes will be launched for the SUV/MUV segment.
"Out of these 17, three tyre sizes are ready for launch while the rest 14 sizes would be introduced next year. Similarly, out of the total nine tyre sizes in the SUV/MUV segment, six will be launched this month while rest next year," said Bridgestone India General Manager-PSR Sales and Marketing Vaibhav Saraf said.
The company would manufacture the new ranges at its plants at Kheda in Madhya Pradesh and Chakan in Maharashtra.

Bridgestone also plans to launch the Ecopia range for TBR (truck bus radials) segment next year.
"We plan to launch Ecopia tyres for TBR segment during April-June period next year. Tyres for inter-city buses would be the first offering," Saraf said.
The company is also looking to increase its sales network in the country. It plans to add another 100 outlets by early next year to its current 400, including dealer-owned and dealer-operated.