JK Tyre Enters Into A Synergic Partnership With Natrax For Development Of Wet Grip Test

• The track to be used by JK Tyre for product testing upon completion

Indian tyre industry major & market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) towards the development and polishing of Wet Grip Test Track at NATRAX Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh.

NATRAX is one of the state-of-the-art automotive testing and certification centers under NATRIP, a flagship project of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. NATRAX consists of 16 test tracks, covering aspects such as speed, braking, off road, comfort, sustainability, noise, friction etc. The Wet Grip Test Track will be used to test the safety aspect of tyres that includes Wet Grip as per ECE R117 regulation, Wet Braking, Peak Brake Force Coefficient (PBFC), etc.

Being the pioneer in tire testing, JK Tyre houses facilities ranging from static to highly dynamic tests, and also has the capability to conduct regulatory tests to performance level tests. It also uses state-owned testing centers under NATRIP (National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project) across India to perform both subjective and objective vehicle level tests. The company is constantly upgrading their test facilities that includes modernization of existing equipment and adding new equipment to meet the emerging needs of OEMs and regulatory requirements (national & international).

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. VK Misra, Technical Director, JK Tyre and Industries said, “We are honored to be part of the government’s flagship project towards building competencies in automotive sector that are at par with the global standards.  We have been working towards driving innovation and tech-excellence in the Indian tyre industry. With our experience and expertise, we are rightly placed  to lead this project with NATRAX.”

Upon completion, JK Tyre will be testing its future range of revolutionary products at the Wet Grip Test Track located at NATRAX Pithampur.

Over the past four decades, JK Tyre has been at the forefront of driving innovation and excellence in the tyre industry through the introduction of ground-breaking technologies and products that cater to diverse business segments in the automobile industry. The company launched first ever ‘Smart Tyre’ technology and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) by offering TREEL sensors.  

JK Tyre’s unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art Global Research and Technology Centre – the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysuru, which houses latest and world class testing facilities.

JK Tyre & Industries Limited

The flagship company of JK Organisation, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd is amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world. Pioneers of radial technology, the Company produced the first radial tyre in 1977 and is currently the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. The Company provides end-to-end solutions across segments of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, farming, Off-the-Road and two & three-wheelers.

A global force, JK Tyre is present in 105 countries with over 180 Global distributors.  The Company has 12 globally benchmarked ‘sustainable’ manufacturing facilities - 9 in India and 3 in Mexico – that collectively produce around 35 million tyres annually. The Company also has a strong network of over 4000 dealers and 550+ dedicated Brand shops called as Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels.

JK Tyre’s unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art global research and technology centre – the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysore, which houses some of the world’s finest technologies and techniques.

JK Tyre launched India’s first ever ‘Smart Tyre’ technology-and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) which monitors the tyre’s vital statistics, including pressure and temperature. The company recently rolled out its 20 millionth Truck/Bus Radial tyre becoming the first and the only Indian company to achieve this milestone.

It is the only Indian tyre manufacturer to be included in the list of Superbrands India in 2019 for the seventh consecutive year. JK Tyre has been conferred the Sword of Honour for Safety across its plants by the British Safety Council,UK. The company entered the Limca Book of Records with the country’s largest off-the-road tyre - VEM 04.

JK Tyre is also synonymous with motorsport in the country. For over three decades, the Company has relentlessly worked towards shaping India’s positioning as the motorsport hub of Asia, developing the right infrastructure for the sport and promoting young talent in the arena.