Chinese imports, economic slowdown trim trucks & bus tyre production by 20%

Industry experts say the price of Chinese tyres is Rs 5,000-6,000 lower than local OEMs

A slowdown in economic growth and the dumping of Chinese tyres have badly hit the Indian tyre manufacturers who have invested about Rs 35,000 crore in the past five years or so. The truck and bus radial (TBR) segment, in particular, is feeling the pressure, with the production of TBRs declining from 5.5 lakh units in June to 4.5 lakh in December 2016, according to the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), the representative body of 11 large tyre companies accounting for over 90 per cent of tyre production in India.

TBR has been the fastest growing segment of the tyre industry,