Falken Tyres

Origin and Expansion

Falken Tyre is a multinational tyre manufacturer based in Kobe, Japan. A subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Falken was established in 1983 followed by introduction in Europe in 1988 and then in the USA in 1991. 

Besides producing tyres for passenger cars, light and medium trucks, Falken is also inclined towards creating ultra-high-performance products while using the professional motorsports platform to further enhance and develop products for distribution worldwide.

The corporate headquarters of North America is in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Sumitomo Rubber Industries sells about 100 million tyres every year for passenger cars, agricultural vehicles, construction vehicles, race and rally cars and motorcycles. Also produces tyres for several major brands across the world.

In India, Falken is a joint venture of Sumitomo Rubber Asia (a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries) and Singapore’s Stamford Tyres Corporation LTD, one of the largest tyre distributors in the world. Known as Falken Tyres India, the company takes advantage of the technological capability of Sumitomo Tyres and the distribution experience of Stamford to enhance customer satisfaction.

The company in India aspires to leverage the flourishing replacement tyre market, by becoming a potential supplier of a wide product range, taking into account the road conditions, driving preference and vehicles of India. It aims to become one of the favourable and respectable tyre brands in India.

Falken holds a special place in motorsports, standing as one of the best performance brands. Falken has earned fame for its continuous and successful commitment to motorsports. The motorsports wing of the company has represented the brand on various events such as ADAC Zurich 24h-Race with Porsche 911 GT3 R and SP9 (GT3) Class during VLN Endurance Championships. 

FALKEN Motorsports team has been competing in 24 Hours Nürburgring, one of the toughest races in Germany since 1999, and reached the podium, grabbing third place with Porsche 911 GT3R for the first time in 2015.

Besides, Falken has also participated in Tudor United SportsCar Championship IMSA, the former American Le Mans Series ALMS, Irish Drift Championship, Super N1 Taikyu Series in Japan, Rally Australia 2000 and has won two Formula Drift Championships. 

The tyre maker has sponsored various events, including Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, English Premier League team Liverpool F.C. in 2017, German Basketball League team EWE Baskets in 2018, and remained the title sponsor of the British Drift Championship until 2010.

The emerging tyre brand is not behind in the field of technology and innovations. It has created an advanced 4D Nano Design that cuts fuel consumption up to five per cent compared to conventional tyre models and significantly betters the tyre performance in damp conditions. 

Another breakthrough innovation is the Falken Gyroblade. This all-new airless tyre technology not only gets rid of flat tyres but also reduces the arduous processes of tyre inflation, and pressure monitoring.

The engineers at Falken have developed Silent Core technology that minimizes vibrations in the interior of the tyre. This process is done via using a polyurethane foam layer that lines the tyre interior and reduces drive-by noise generation by up to 10 decibels. The technique is extremely durable and lasts for the entire life of the tyre. 

The tyremaker introduced the first run-flat tyre in 2014. The parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) in collaboration with Professor Hiroshi Tani of Kansai University, developed a technology that generates electric power from tyre rotation and transmits it to peripheral of tyre's sensors.

Facilities

The tyremaker has a Technical Tyre Center located in Kobe city of Hyogo, Japan. The European Development Centre was established in 2018 to boost the speed and efficiency of the research and development operations in Europe.

Achievements

• Listed on top in German motoring magazine ACE Lenkrad's trial, together with a 'Highly Recommended' rating in Auto Zeitung's summer tyre test.
• Falken Azenis Fk510 awarded a “Very Good” rating by sport auto.
• SRI, the parent company of Falken, got the “Tire Technology of the Year Award” in 2019 for its Sensing Core tyre sensing technology
• In 2021, acquired two nominations at International Motor Film Awards
• Got the spot in the passenger car tyre category of the VRÖ Awards for 2017/2018. The award is given biannually by the Association of Austrian Tyre Specialists.
• Falken Azenis FK510 won the Wheels Magazine Tyre Test in Australia
• "Grip the Moment" marketing campaign, earned Falken multiple gold and silver Davey Awards
• Winner of Subaru of Indiana Supplier (SIA) award in 2019 for exceptional performance over the past year

Passenger Car Tyre

Falken offers an array of passenger car tyres for the Indian market for categories including small & medium-sized hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, luxury and sports cars. All tyres are not only reliable and scores high on durability, but offer optimum performance and safety in their respective categories. Some of the notable series in the passenger car tyre category include Azenis, Sincera, Wildpeak, Ziex and Linam, among others.

Motorcycle and Scooter Tyre

The Japanese tyre manufacturer has not yet entered the two-wheeler segment. The tyremaker specializes in producing tyres for passengers cars, SUVs, Vans and Trucks. So, there are fewer chances of the company foraying into the two-wheeler segment in near future.

Truck Tyre

Falken knows the value of those who are always on road, that is why the manufacturer is keen on developing products for use on long-distance transport or the construction site, using the appropriate tread, guaranteeing excellent grip and driving stability. Some of the popular products in the trucking segment include BI 856, RI 151, GI 368, GI 388 and S1 011, among others.

Manufacturing facilities in India and abroad

The Sumitomo Rubber Group, the parent company has presently over 15 manufacturing plants in Japan and abroad. The immense global success of the company has resulted in the creation of several production units. In the past decade, new locations have been founded in China (2012), South Africa (2013), Brazil (2013), the USA (2015), and Turkey (2015).

The tyre manufacturer has a production plant in Tonawanda City, New York. These are solid proof that the Falken is at home all over the world. In India, the company is still searching for the right opportunity to set up a production facility and cement its position in the ever-flourishing automotive market.

Falken Sales Network

Falken has a pan India presence and aims to thrive in the replacement and upsizing markets. The company has about 889 dealers across 3567 cities in India.