Bridgestone Tyres

Origin and Expansion

Bridgestone ranks among one of the largest tyre manufacturing companies in India. The company is part of the giant Japanese multinational Bridgestone Corporation founded in the year 1931 and is currently headquartered in Tokyo. As of 2020, the company is the second-biggest tyre maker in the world. In India, Bridgestone’s head office is in Pune, Maharashtra. The international tyre giant established its India operations in 1996 with a vision to provide its customers with world-class products and services.

In a span of about 25 years, the reputed tyre brand has been continuously cementing its position in the ever-booming Indian automotive market. Following its strict quality standards, Bridgestone has now become one of the preferred OEM tyre suppliers to reputed car manufacturing brands in India. Despite the intense competition, the brand has been strongly growing and currently holds 5 percent of the entire market share in India.

Bridgestone is one of the most preferred choices when it comes to tyres for passenger cars and SUVs, while the products for buses, trucks, OTR and agricultural equipment are sold under its commercial banner. The company has played a crucial role in developing smart tyre solutions which use strain sensors to remotely identify key aspects of a tyre such as air pressure, wear and load. The technology greatly facilitates fleet operators.

Bridgestone is currently the largest premium tyre manufacturer in the country and aims to bring the total daily production from its plants to approximately 41,000 tyres by the year 2022. The brand is now part of the global EMEA business unit with a recent Rs 350 crore investment to expand its reach in the Indian market. The presence of the manufacturer in India can be seen in the fact that over 95 per cent of its tyres sold in India are locally produced.

Due to its constant innovation and up-gradation at the product level, Bridgestone is increasingly becoming the preferred choice for two-wheeler, passenger and off-road tyre segment.

R&D Facilities

The Tokyo plant houses the Technical Centre established in the year 1962 as well as an additional progressive system of research and development. The American subsidiary Bridgestone Americas, Inc established a USD100 million technical centre in Akron city of Ohio. The Japanese manufacturer currently incorporates 4 technical centres and 11 proving grounds at various places across the world. In a bid to expand its reach across the world, Bridgestone continues to work on new business models, which necessitate combining product and service offerings to create value-added solutions.

Achievements

• Awarded “Tyre Manufacturing Innovation of the Year 2017”.
• Got the inaugural award for the ‘Tyre Manufacturer Award of the Year’.
• Won national road safety charity TyreSafe’s Innovation & Use of Technology Award 2020.
• Recognized as a ‘Great Place to Work’ in 2021
• Awarded with ‘India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2021’.
• Awarded the prestigious Deming Prize in 1968
• Mobility award for “Precision Docking” Tire and Curb Development for Barrier-Free (Universal Design) of Advanced Rapid Transit
• General Motors awarded Bridgestone with the 2018 Supplier Quality Excellence Award.
• Gold Award in 2019 for ‘CSR Leadership Award’ for focusing on making roads safer, uplifting local communities through education and skill development as well as water conservation.
• Bridgestone China received Gold for ‘Excellence in Provision of Literacy and Education Award’ for their ‘Happy Tangram’ program, which emphasizes stimulating creativity and life skills among rural children.
• Thai subsidiary of Bridgestone won Silver for ‘Best Community Program Award’ in 2019
• Bridgestone Asia Pacific clinched Platinum for the highest honour for CSR Leadership in 2020
• Gold Award for Best Community Programme for its “Bridgestone Squad – Complete Safety for Children in 2019”

Passenger Car Tyre

The passenger car tyre category of Bridgestone ranges from hatchbacks to sedans and SUVs. Some of the most prominent products in the passenger segment include B-series, S-series, Ecopia, Dueler, Alenza, Potenza and Turanza among others. Bridgestone offers premium rubber in their tyres that ensure long tread life and maximum performance as compared to others.

Motorcycle and Scooter Tyre

The tyres manufactured by Bridgestone for two-wheelers fall under the Neurun brand-name. The exclusive front and rear pattern design, and specially developed compound adapt to the needs of Indian roads aptly. They return high levels of grip and superior stability under all conditions.

Truck Tyre

Bridgestone India has a vast range of truck tyres in its portfolio. From cargo, tipper to trailer, some of the top products include G620, R156, M840, M851XM, G611 and R153 among others.

Manufacturing facilities in India and abroad

The manufacturer has currently 47 tyre plants and 29 tyre-related units across the world. In India, the brand has two manufacturing units. The first one at Pithampur Industrial Area near Indore, Madhya Pradesh was established in 1996 while the second one at Chakan Industrial area near Pune, Maharashtra was added in 2013.

Bridgestone Sales Network

Bridgestone has a vast network of nearly 3,000 dealers pan India. The company is constantly making efforts to increase the penetration level and produce quality tyres to be available in every nook and corner of the country.