Tyre maker Ralson India Ltd, manufacturer of the Ralco tyre brand and a firm that calls itself “India’s fastest growing automotive tyre company,” has entered into an agreement to acquire rights to the Dunlop name in India.The company intends to produce premium Dunlop tyres for the powered two- and three-wheeler segments at its Kot Panech plant in Punjab.

In a statement, Ralson India noted that it has been “aggressively pursuing” opportunities to grow in India’s automotive tyre market both organically and via other means. “This agreement to market the Dunlop brand tyres is poised to further uplift the presence and stature of Ralson India Limited in the automotive tyre space in India.”

Doubling of capacity

Ralson and Ralco may not be familiar names to UK and Europe-based readers, however the tyre maker sells its products in 70 markets around the world and is a major manufacturer of bicycle tyres, claiming to have become global number two in this segment by 2018. The company specialised in bicycle tyres in the years following its founding in 1974, entering the powered two- and three-wheeler segment in 2000. It opened a second plant, in Kot Panech, in 2015.

Production currently takes place at two factories in Punjab and includes bicycle, moped, scooter, motorcycle, three-wheeler, e-rickshaw and tractor tyres. Ralson shares that it is also gearing up to manufacture truck and bus radials. It reports doubling capacity of its two factories last year, giving the plants a combined annual potential output of 5 million tyres.