47391219 ceat tyres mrkt marketing project report

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A SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON MARKETING TRAIT CEAT TYRES SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (BBA), GURU JAMBESHWAR UNIVERSITY, HISAR TRAINING SUPERVISOR SUBMITTED BY

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Page 1: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

A SUMMER TRAINING REPORT

ON

MARKETING TRAIT CEAT TYRES

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT

OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (BBA),GURU JAMBESHWAR UNIVERSITY, HISAR

TRAINING SUPERVISOR SUBMITTED BY

Page 2: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Acknowledgement

The present work is an effort to throw some light on “Marketing

Trait Ceat Tyres”. The work would not have been possible to come

to the present shape without the able guidance, supervision and help to

me by number of people.

With deep sense of gratitude I acknowledged the

encouragement and guidance received by my organizational guide

Prof. Shah Washim and other staff members.

I convey my heartful affection to all those people who helped

and supported me during the course, for completion of my Project

Report.

Page 3: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Table of Content

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION

SEGMENTATION OF INDIAN TYRE INDUSTRY

Technology based

Use based

Markets

Market Share and Size

Peculiar Features of the Tyre Industry

Demand Drivers

Trends in Raw Material

Opportunities Lying Ahead

Threats

Tyre Company Profiles

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

BENEFITS OF THE STUDY

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

PROBLEM CONTEXT

Page 4: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

INDUSTRY/ORGANIZATION/PERSPECTIVES/IMPLICATIONS

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

DEFINITION/OPERATIONALIZATION OF TERMS

RESEARCH DESIGN /METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH SAMPLING AND DESIGN

RESEARCH VARIABLES AND MEASUREMENT

DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY

LIMITATIONS OF TRESEARCH

DATA PRESENTATIONS AND FINDINGS

PRESENTATION OF DATA

DATA ANALYSIS

SWOT ANALYSIS

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS REFERANCES

Page 5: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

INTRODUCTION

Ceat Ltd, a part of the RPG Goenka group, is the second largest

tyre manufacturer in the country after MRF. Ceat manufactures

truck & bus, passenger car, scooter and LCV tyres. The company

is a dominant player in the truck & bus and passenger car tyre

segments with a market share of 14% and 17% respectively. In

FY2000, Ceat did well to posting a 21%yoy sales growth in the

replacement market for truck & bus tyres. It is presently focusing

on catering to the fast growing passenger car and two-wheeler

industry. Towards this, it is commissioning a new radial tyre

factory in June 2000.

Industry basics

Tyre industry is capital intensive and as capacities come in

spurts, it leads to constant demand-supply imbalances and

consequent cyclicality in prices. Variable cost is also very high,

with raw materials forming nearly 70% of the costs. Profit

margins are therefore thin. Production process is technology

intensive and globally huge sums are invested in R&D. Tyre

demand is a derived demand, dependent on the auto industry,

Page 6: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

both for OEM and replacement market. The major segments are

Truck & Bus (T&B) tyres and car tyres. Value share of T&B

segment is about 73%. This segment is highly competitive and

margins are typically lower than in the car tyres segment.

Replacement market forms the largest segment (about 58%),

followed by OEM (about 22%). Export accounts for about 15%.

With global demand slowing down, there is a consolidation of

capacities through mergers etc. The domestic tyre industry

broadly mirrors the market characteristics of the global industry.

However, due to rough road conditions, the more rugged,

suitable and cheaper cross ply tyres are in vogue. Consumption

of natural rubber is, therefore, proportionately higher. The

government has decided to impose 10% safeguard duty on

carbon black and hiking benchmark prices of natural rubber (25-

30% of sales) in February 1999. Its impact was felt only to an

extent as prices of these commodities are ruling at historical

lows in the global market.

Ceat is part of the RPG group, which is diversified, with presence

in major sectors like power, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, tyres,

computer, telecom, financial services etc. The group stumbled

trying to grow via diverse platforms and has many companies

that have turned sick. But lately the strategy seems to be one of

restructuring and consolidation. The group is divided into 4 broad

areas - rubber & allied products, power, electronics & telecom

and chemicals. Ceat’s investments in its subsidiaries have also

come down this fiscal which is a sign of prudence on the

management. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

Page 7: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Ceat is a manufacturing company, which produces rubber, tire,

nylon fabric products, nylon tire yarn, glass fiber, automotive

flaps, filament mats and other rubber products for the

automotive markets in India. The company has a well established

research and development center that evaluates the application

and development of new raw materials, compounds and tire

sizes. It produces tires for two and three wheeled vehicles,

passenger cars, LCVs, trucks and buses. Ceat exports to almost

50 countries, with the US being the largest destination.

The company also provides investment financial services through

Meteoric Industrial Finance and Atlantic Holdings. Automotive tire

sales account for around 90% of revenues, automotive tubes

account for about 8% and the remaining revenues come from

other non-core operations.

The company is pursuing a strategic initiative of intensifying

outsourcing to expand its product range and increase production

volumes. Ceat has an agreement with Pirelli of Italy for

outsourcing radial tires which are being marketed under the

CEAT Spider Radials brand name.

CEAT INDIA

Ceat Limited is a manufacturer of tires in India. Automotive tires

comprise the largest part of the Company's revenue, however it

also produces tire flaps, rubber tubing and nylon thread. The

Company also offers financial services through Ceat Financial

Services Limited, including hire purchase, office equipment

Page 8: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

finance, container and equipment/infrastructure leasing and

money market operations.

History

CEAT stands for Cavi Electrici Affini Torino (Electrical Cables and

Allied Products of Turin).

CEAT International was first established in 1924 at Turino in Italy

and manufactured cables for telephones and railways.

In 1958, CEAT came to India, and CEAT Tyres of India Ltd was

established in collaboration with the TATA Group.

In 1982, the RPG Group took over CEAT Tyres of India, and in

1990, renamed the company CEAT Ltd.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Ceat Ltd, a part of the RPG Goenka group, is the second largest

tyre manufacturer in the country after MRF. Ceat manufactures

truck & bus, passenger car, scooter and LCV tyres. The company

is a dominant player in the truck & bus and passenger car tyre

segments with a market share of 14% and 17% respectively. In

FY2000, Ceat did well to posting a 21%yoy sales growth in the

replacement market for truck & bus tyres. It is presently focusing

on catering to the fast growing passenger car and two-wheeler

Page 9: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

industry. Towards this, it is commissioning a new radial tyre

factory in June 2000.

Industry basics

Tyre industry is capital intensive and as capacities come in

spurts, it leads to constant demand-supply imbalances and

consequent cyclicality in prices. Variable cost is also very high,

with raw materials forming nearly 70% of the costs. Profit

margins are therefore thin. Production process is technology

intensive and globally huge sums are invested in R&D. Tyre

demand is a derived demand, dependent on the auto industry,

both for OEM and replacement market. The major segments are

Truck & Bus (T&B) tyres and car tyres. Value share of T&B

segment is about 73%. This segment is highly competitive and

margins are typically lower than in the car tyres segment.

Replacement market forms the largest segment (about 58%),

followed by OEM (about 22%). Export accounts for about 15%.

With global demand slowing down, there is a consolidation of

capacities through mergers etc. The domestic tyre industry

broadly mirrors the market characteristics of the global industry.

However, due to rough road conditions, the more rugged,

suitable and cheaper cross ply tyres are in vogue. Consumption

of natural rubber is, therefore, proportionately higher. The

government has decided to impose 10% safeguard duty on

carbon black and hiking benchmark prices of natural rubber (25-

30% of sales) in February 1999. Its impact was felt only to an

Page 10: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

extent as prices of these commodities are ruling at historical

lows in the global market.

Ceat is part of the RPG group, which is diversified, with presence

in major sectors like power, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, tyres,

computer, telecom, financial services etc. The group stumbled

trying to grow via diverse platforms and has many companies

that have turned sick. But lately the strategy seems to be one of

restructuring and consolidation. The group is divided into 4 broad

areas - rubber & allied products, power, electronics & telecom

and chemicals. Ceat’s investments in its subsidiaries have also

come down this fiscal which is a sign of prudence on the

management.

Indian Tyre Industry

The tyre industry has witnessed a CAGR of 8.3% over the last

decade mainly fuelled by the strong growth in the domestic auto

industry. Though the replacement market has driven the industry

growth for long time, the OEM market has seen a robust growth

over the last couple of years.

The industry is highly capital intensive, as it requires around

Rs4bn to setup a radial tyre plant with a capacity of 1.5mn tyres

and around Rs1.5-2bn for a crossply tyre plant of a capacity to

manufacture 1.5mn tyres.

Page 11: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

The profitability of the industry has high correlation with the

prices of key raw materials such as rubber and crude oil as they

account for more than 70% of the total costs. The raw material to

sales ratio in the industry is around 65%.

The industry has high entry barriers because of its capital

intensive nature and low operating margins. With demand

increasing at a steady pace, the industry is expected to go

through a consolidation phase.

The industry is dominated by four players viz MRF, Apollo Tyres,

JK Industries and Ceat and enjoys more than 70% of the total

market share.

The fortunes of the industry are linked to the trend in the

domestic auto industry, retreading, trend in road transportation

and spending on road infrastructure.

The companies have lined up further expansion plans to meet

the increasing demand.

India Infoline Sector Studies : Indian Tyre Industry is available in

Acrobat Reader (PDF) format. The Report provides exhaustive

information on the Indian Tyre Sector, the demand drivers,

trends in the industry (with respect to production, exports,

market share), key characteristics of the Indian market and

profile of leading players in India.

Page 12: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Boards okay Harrisons rubber division merger with Ceat

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, April 19

THE process of consolidating the rubber business of the Rs

6,700-crore RPG Enterprises got under way with the boards of

Ceat Ltd and Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) approving the

scheme of arrangement involving the demerger of the rubber

division of HML and its transfer to Ceat.

The appointed date of the Scheme of Arrangement is fixed as

October 1, 2002.

Under the demerger plan for HML, Ceat will issue 95,03,900

equity shares of Rs 10 each to HML and 36,91,081 equity shares

of Rs 10 each to the shareholders of HML in the ratio of one

share for five equity shares held by these shareholders.

The existing paid-up capital of HML will be reduced from Rs

18.45 crore to Rs 9.23 crore by reducing the paid-up value of

each equity share of Rs 10 each to Rs 5 each. Besides, Ceat's

investment portfolio will be demerged and transferred to

Meteoric Industrial Finance Company (MIFL), one of Ceat's non-

banking financial subsidiaries.

Under this demerger, MIFL will issue 3,52,13,320 equity shares to

shareholders of Ceat in the ratio of one equity share of MIFL of

Re 1 each for every one equity share of Ceat of Rs 10 each held

Page 13: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

by such shareholders in Ceat. This scheme will provide

reclassification of the unissued equity shares of Rs 10 each of

MIFL into equity shares of Re 1 each.

Post this issue of shares, MIFL will cease to be a subsidiary of

Ceat and an application will be made to the Bombay Stock

Exchange for listing the company.

The objective of this consolidation is to strengthen the rubber

business by creating backward integration for Ceat, an official

press release said quoting Mr Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG

Enterprises.

"With the merger of HML's rubber division and the divestment of

all its non-tyre assets Ceat will be able to focus on its tyre

business and also improve its option for sourcing this important

raw material for its tyre manufacturing activities and bring about

synergistic effects,'' RPG Enterprises said in the press release.

Ceat had earlier said that the merger of the rubber division of

HML with itself would improve the company's options for

sourcing this important raw material for its tyre manufacturing

activities and bring about synergic effects.

HML's rubber division has a turnover of Rs 50 crore from a crop

output of about 10,000 tonnes per annum, while Ceat's natural

rubber consumption was approximately 50,000 tonnes worth Rs

260 crore last year.

As regards HML, the demerger of the rubber division will help it

to focus on its core business area of tea. The financial

Page 14: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

restructuring would enable the business to grow not only its tea

business but also consider expansion into new agriculture related

food products.

The Board of HML also gave its approval for a scheme of

amalgamation of its 100 per cent subsidiaries, Harrisons Agro

Products Ltd, Harrisons Rubber Products Ltd and Harrisons

Malayalam Financial Services Ltd with itself.

The valuers to the Scheme are SBI Capital Markets & KPMG and

the advisors are Lodha & Co.

The scheme is subject to the sanction of the courts and the

National Company Law Tribunal. Ceat, MIFL and HML and its

subsidiaries will apply to the High Courts for approval. Khaitan &

Co has been appointed as advocates to the scheme for this

purpose.

MARKETING STRATEGY

Page 15: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Boards okay Harrisons rubber division merger with Ceat

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, April 19

THE process of consolidating the rubber business of the Rs

6,700-crore RPG Enterprises got under way with the boards of

Ceat Ltd and Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) approving the

scheme of arrangement involving the demerger of the rubber

division of HML and its transfer to Ceat.

The appointed date of the Scheme of Arrangement is fixed as

October 1, 2002.

Under the demerger plan for HML, Ceat will issue 95,03,900

equity shares of Rs 10 each to HML and 36,91,081 equity shares

of Rs 10 each to the shareholders of HML in the ratio of one

share for five equity shares held by these shareholders.

The existing paid-up capital of HML will be reduced from Rs

18.45 crore to Rs 9.23 crore by reducing the paid-up value of

each equity share of Rs 10 each to Rs 5 each. Besides, Ceat's

investment portfolio will be demerged and transferred to

Meteoric Industrial Finance Company (MIFL), one of Ceat's non-

banking financial subsidiaries.

Under this demerger, MIFL will issue 3,52,13,320 equity shares to

shareholders of Ceat in the ratio of one equity share of MIFL of

Re 1 each for every one equity share of Ceat of Rs 10 each held

by such shareholders in Ceat. This scheme will provide

Page 16: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

reclassification of the unissued equity shares of Rs 10 each of

MIFL into equity shares of Re 1 each.

Post this issue of shares, MIFL will cease to be a subsidiary of

Ceat and an application will be made to the Bombay Stock

Exchange for listing the company.

The objective of this consolidation is to strengthen the rubber

business by creating backward integration for Ceat, an official

press release said quoting Mr Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG

Enterprises.

"With the merger of HML's rubber division and the divestment of

all its non-tyre assets Ceat will be able to focus on its tyre

business and also improve its option for sourcing this important

raw material for its tyre manufacturing activities and bring about

synergistic effects,'' RPG Enterprises said in the press release.

Ceat had earlier said that the merger of the rubber division of

HML with itself would improve the company's options for

sourcing this important raw material for its tyre manufacturing

activities and bring about synergic effects.

HML's rubber division has a turnover of Rs 50 crore from a crop

output of about 10,000 tonnes per annum, while Ceat's natural

rubber consumption was approximately 50,000 tonnes worth Rs

260 crore last year.

As regards HML, the demerger of the rubber division will help it

to focus on its core business area of tea. The financial

restructuring would enable the business to grow not only its tea

Page 17: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

business but also consider expansion into new agriculture related

food products.

The Board of HML also gave its approval for a scheme of

amalgamation of its 100 per cent subsidiaries, Harrisons Agro

Products Ltd, Harrisons Rubber Products Ltd and Harrisons

Malayalam Financial Services Ltd with itself.

The valuers to the Scheme are SBI Capital Markets & KPMG and

the advisors are Lodha & Co.

The scheme is subject to the sanction of the courts and the

National Company Law Tribunal. Ceat, MIFL and HML and its

subsidiaries will apply to the High Courts for approval. Khaitan &

Co has been appointed as advocates to the scheme for this

purpose.

Ceat Limited

AVAILABLE NOW! LABOR PRODUCTIVITY BENCHMARKS

AND VERTICAL GAP ANALYSIS ON Ceat Limited

Page 18: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Published today by ICON Group International, Ltd. Two of the

most comprehensive studies to date on labor productivity and

vertical gap analysis benchmarks for Ceat Limited (BOM).

The methodologist for this unique study is Philip Parker, Eli Lilly

Chair Professor of Innovation, Business and Society at INSEAD

(Fontainebleau, France and Singapore). According to Professor

Parker, “With the globalization of markets, greater foreign

competition, and the reduction of barriers to entry, it becomes all

the more important to benchmark a company’s financial

indicators on a worldwide basis. World stock markets have

recently witnessed a return to fundamental financial analysis. ”

The goal of the reports is to assist consultants, financial

managers, strategic planners, and corporate officers in gauging

certain indicators of Ceat Limited’s financial and human resource

structure.

The report has benchmarked Ceat Limited against competing

firms in the Tires and Inner Tubes Manufacturing industry

worldwide—going beyond traditional methods of company

benchmarking. The results are two specialized reports: (1) global

financial benchmarks using common-size statement ratios

(vertical analysis), and (2) labor productivity and utilization

measures collected across borders.

Coverage

Two reports, financial ratios and labor productivity ratios, are

available for Ceat Limited. Each report reveals productivity and

industry ranks for Ceat Limited in the Tires and Inner Tubes

Page 19: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Manufacturing industry. Reports for the following and many other

Tires and Inner Tubes Manufacturing companies are available

now:

Bridgestone Corporation

Brisa Bridgestone Sabanci Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS Ceat Limited, Compagnie Financiere Michelin, Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin Continental AG Cooper Tire & Rubber Co DMIB Berhad (Malaysia) Dunlop Africa Limited Feng Tay Enterprise Co Ltd Goodyear (Thailand) Public Company Limited Goodyear Indonesia P.T. Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. Heung Ah Corp Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd. Kumho Industrial Company Limited Marangoni S.p.A. Nexen Tire Pirelli S.p.A. Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. Vredestein NV

Yokohama Rubber Company, Limited

The vertical analysis deals with questions like: How has

Ceat Limited’s asset structure varied compared to global

benchmarks for the Tires and Inner Tubes Manufacturing

industry? Does it generally hold more cash and other short-

term assets, or does it tend to concentrate its assets in

Page 20: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

physical plant and equipment? On the liability side, does

Ceat Limited typically have a higher percent of payables

compared to the benchmarks, or does it hold a higher

concentration of long-term debt? Does Ceat Limited have a

relatively higher cost of goods sold, operating costs, or

income taxes compared to global benchmarks? Have Ceat

Limited’s returns on equity been higher or its profit

margins greater?

While the labor productivity analysis answers the following:

What has been the ratio of short-term and long-term assets

to employee? What are typical capital-labor ratios? What

are the average sales and net profits per employee

compared to global benchmarks?

Methodology: Uncovering Gaps

Most vertical analyses merely focus on benchmarking against

domestic ratios, often published by government agencies or

commercial sources. In contrast, the report calculates thousands

Professor Parker notes, "We are

intrigued by the wide variations in

basic financial and productivity

measures between Ceat Limited

and other Tires and Inner Tubes

Manufacturing companies. The

Earnings Before Interest And Taxes

(EBIT), for example, varied from -

2.1 to 64.21. We see this type of

variation in the hundreds of ratios

that we estimate.”

Page 21: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

of industry norms by looking at firms at the global level, pooling

statistics on tens of thousands of companies across over 40

countries, and applying a seven-stage methodology:

(1) identification of industry classifications,

(2) firm-level data collection and aggregation,

(3) standardization of raw statistics,

(4) filtering outliers,

(5) calculation of global norms,

(6) projection of deviations and gaps, and

(7) projection of ranks and percentiles. For each part of the

financial statement, the larger structural differences and

gaps between Ceat Limited. and the global benchmarks

are provided with summary tables of ranks and percentiles.

  TYRE manufacturer Ceat Ltd is on the road to recovery. Yet even as it

leaves its losses behind, refuses to borrow and enhances sales, there are

sectoral issues it must confront. Mr Paras K. Chowdhary, Managing

Director, Ceat, spoke recently to Business Line on the domestic tyre

industry and challenges before it.

LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH

This report is for information purposes only and does not

construe to be any investment, legal or taxation advice. It is not

intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase and sale of

any financial instrument. Any action taken by you on the basis of

the information contained herein is your responsibility alone and

Page 22: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

India Infoline Ltd (hereinafter referred as IIL) and its subsidiaries

or its employees or directors, associates will not be liable in any

manner for the consequences of such action taken by you. We

have exercised due diligence in checking the correctness and

authenticity of the information contained herein, but do not

represent that it is accurate or complete. IIL or any of its

subsidiaries or associates or employees shall not be in any way

responsible for any loss or damage that may arise to any person

from any inadvertent error in the information contained in this

publication. The recipients of this report should rely on their own

investigations. IIL and/or its subsidiaries and/or directors,

employees or associates may have interests or positions,

financial or otherwise.

DATABASE AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research Methodology defines the is the purpose of the

research, how it proceeds, how to measure progress and what

constitute success with respect to the objectives determined for

carrying out the research study, the appropriate research design

formulated is detailed below.

Page 23: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Exploratory research: this kind of research has the primary

objective of development of insights into the problem. it studies

the main area where the problem lies and also tries to evaluate

some appropriate courses of action.

The research methodology for the present study has been

adopted to reflect these realties and help reach the logical

conclusion in an objective and scientific manner.

The important component of research methodology such

as, method of data collection, tools for processing of the data

and reporting format of the study, are enumerated as follows:

DATA COLLECTION

The present study contemplated an exploratory research.

Secondary data: secondary data which is already

available and published .it could be internal and external

source of data.

Page 24: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Internal source: which originates from the specific field

or area where research is carried out e.g. publish

brouchers, official reports etc.

External source: which originates outside the field of

study like books, periodicals ,journals, newspapers and the

internet.

NATURE OF DATA

Secondary data has been used which is collected through

articles, reports, journals, magazines, newspapers reports

prepared by research scholars, universities and internet.

TOOLS AND TECHNIQES

Analysis of data has been done with help of various statistical

tools like the tables and graphs.

Page 25: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

This Report features up to a ten-year record of the equity Price

history for Ceat Limited. Tabular results include the High, Low

and Closing price for the quarter. There is also a calculation of

percentage change in price for both Quarterly and Annual

periods. Price values are adjusted for stock splits and dividends.

Ceat Limited. The Group's principal activities are to

manufacture and distribute automotive tyres, tubes and

flaps. The products include nylon fabric, nylon tyre yarn,

glass fibre, automotive flaps, filament mats and other

rubber products. The Group also provides investment

financial services. The Group supplies to over 50 countries

with the major business links in the United States of

America, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh,

Philippines, Afghanistan, and Nigeria and other Asian,

Middle East and African countries.

Page 26: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Layout and Content of a Typical Report

Page 27: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Tyre Industry April 2004 update

The tyre production in India witnessed a growth of 29.8% on a

yoy basis in the month of April 04. The most significant growth

was seen in the production of the passenger car segment, which

saw a jump of 59% to 936,853 in April 2004 as against 588,238

in April 2003. Other significant segments were the motorcycle

segment and the tractor segment. The motorcycle segment

witnessed a growth of more than 29% and the tractor segment

(Front, Rear and Trailer) registered a growth of more than 25%.

The contribution of the tyre and bus segment to the total

production in April 2004 reduced to 18.8% from 21.6% in

April 2003. The passenger car segment, which contributed

16.3% in April 2003, increased its share in total production

to 20%. The share of the tractor segment decreased from

5.1% to 4.9% for the same period.

If any indication from these figures have to be taken, the

growth in the passenger segment would be more than that

in the commercial vehicle segment in the near future. In

the recent past, there has been an ostensible shift in the

demand of two wheelers from scooters to motorcycles. The

figures for the production of tyres in the respective

segment envisage the scenario to continue in the near

term. Above average pre-monsoon showers are expected

to give positive triggers to the demand of tractors.

Increasing production of tractor tyres is an indicator for the

same.

Page 28: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Exports of tyres grew by a substantial 39.6% in April 2004

to 291,409 from 208,710 in April 2003. The major

contributors to this growth were the passenger car and the

scooter segments by registering a growth of 200% and

293%. During FY04, exports contributed to the tune of

20.6% and 6% to total production of tyres in truck & bus

and passenger car segments respectively. The same

figures for the respective segments were 17.7% and 5.5%

in April 2004. In FY04, the exports contributed 4.6% of the

total tractor tyres production, which decreased to 2.9% in

April 2004. This further indicates that the domestic auto

industry is all set to witness a substantial growth.

  Production Exports

(In mn) Apr-04 Apr-03 Growt

h

Apr-04 Apr-03 Growt

h

Truck &

Bus

880,275 777,280 13.3 154,695 123,760 25.0

LCV 291,828 219,895 32.7 62,677 45,475 37.8

Jeep 130,774 100,235 30.5      

Passenge

r Car

936,853 588,238 59.3 51,573 17,157 200.6

Total 4-

wheeler

2,239,73

0

1,685,64

8

32.9 268,94

5

186,39

2

44.3

Page 29: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

 

Tractor

(Front)

108,756 94,360 15.3 1,104 1,955 (43.5)

Tractor

(Rear)

80,309 58,056 38.3 5,326 11,244 (52.6)

Tractor

(Trailer)

40,590 30,860 31.5 217 226 (4.0)

Total

Tractor

229,655 183,276 25.3 6,647 13,425 (50.5)

 

Scooter 796,918 611,033 30.4 12,225 3,110 293.1

Motor

Cycle

1,362,593 1,054,453 29.2 2,750 1,975 39.2

Moped 8,205 18,508 (55.7) 4 646 (99.4)

Total 2-

wheeler

2,167,71

6

1,683,99

4

28.7 14,979 5,731 161.4

 

Animal

Drawn

Vehicle

9,514 18,585 (48.8)      

Page 30: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Industrial 23,068 26,769 (13.8) 50 1,958 (97.4)

Off the

Road

4,613 3,176 45.2 788 1,204 (34.6)

Total

Others

37,195 48,530 (23.4) 838 3,162 (73.5)

Final

Total

4,674,29

6

3,601,44

8

29.8 291,40

9

208,71

0

39.6

STOCK CHART

Recent stock performance

1 Week   2.9%

4 Weeks   2.7%

13 Weeks   -8.7%

52 Weeks      -26.0%

Vision and Mission

Business Description: Ceat Limited. The Group's principal

activities are to manufacture and distribute automotive

tyres, tubes and flaps. The products include nylon fabric,

nylon tyre yarn, glass fibre, automotive flaps, filament mats

and other rubber products. The Group also provides

investment financial services. The Group supplies to over

50 countries with the major business links in the United

States of America, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates,

Bangladesh, Philippines, Afghanistan, and Nigeria and other

Asian, Middle East and African countries.

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“CEAT will each time every time provide Total Customer

Satisfaction through products and services of highest

quality and reliability.

CEAT will nurture an exciting and challenging working

environment embedded with fairness and free, frank

exchange of views.”

Current Scenario

Manufactures over 6 million tyres every year.

Enjoys 55% of the local market for light truck and truck

tyres.

Operates from plants in Mumbai and Nasik.

Exports to USA, Africa and other parts of Asia.

Has a robust network consisting of 36 regional offices, over

3,500 dealers and more than 100 C&F agents.

Has a dedicated Customer Service department, comprising

Customer Service Managers in all four divisional offices,

assisted by 50 Service Engineers.

CEAT & Cricket

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The first international rating system

In 1995, the Professional Management Group (PMG) and CEAT

decided to transform cricket into an experience, bigger and more

exciting than anything players and fans had ever witnessed.

They decided to reward the performances of players at the

international level.

Thus was born the first International Rating System—CEAT

Cricket Rating (CCR)—a system to reward outstanding

performances across every sphere of cricket—batting, bowling,

fielding and even wicket-keeping!

A comprehensive award system

CCR encompasses all international matches (Test matches and

One-day Internationals) played over twelve months, between

May 1 and April 30. It rewards both, individual players as well as

teams, and is indeed the world’s most credible cricket rating.

A lifelong title

After twelve months of scoring centuries, sending stumps flying

and taking impossible catches, the best cricketer receives his

most fulfilling reward—the ‘CEAT International Cricketer of the

Year’. And of course, the most enduring team is rewarded too. It

wins the ‘CEAT International Team of the Year’.

In 1996, Brian Lara won the first 'CEAT International Cricketer'

award. A year later, Pakistan won the first 'CEAT International

Team' award. During the World Cup in 1999, CEAT instituted the

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'CEAT International Cricketer of the World Cup' award, and it

went to Rahul Dravid for his phenomenal performance.

The experts’ decision is final

CCR is adeptly managed by a Governing Council comprising

cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Clive Lloyd and Ian Chappell. The

day-to-day affairs are overseen by Sanjay Manjerekar, the

Executive Director of the Council.

Having been in the export business for over forty years,

CEAT today enjoys 14% of the Indian market share of

global exports, clients in over seventy countries, and a

turnover of US $47 million.

Exporting technologically advanced products

From five world-class plants, three in India and one in Sri

Lanka, we manufacture a wide range of tyres for all user

segments including trucks, buses, and LCVs. We also

export farm, industrial, grader, OTR, car, scooter, auto-

rickshaw, motorcycle and passenger car radials.

Enjoying large market shares

Our individual market shares include 64% in Singapore,

22% in UAE and 22% in Philippines. We also send our

products into USA, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Iran,

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Nigeria, Egypt and other African, Middle-East and Far-East

Asian countries.

Meeting global standards

With our manufacturing processes being globally approved

by DOT (Department of Transportation) and IN-METRO, our

products have direct entry into the US and Latin American

markets.

Honoured with Quality certificates

We are the first Indian tyre company to receive an ISO

certificate (ISO/TS 16949: 2002, in the year 2003-2004).

Over the last ten years, we have consistently been

receiving export awards from AIRAI and CAPEXIL. A rare

honour, indeed.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Business

Ceat is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the country. In

FY2000, it produced 5.72mn number of tyres as compared to

5.24mn units in FY99, a rise of 9%yoy. 

Tyres

Page 35: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Ceat manufactures truck & bus, passenger car, scooter and LCV

tyres. Ceat has an extensive distribution network of more than

3,000 dealers. Though known for its quality and successful

brands such as Formula I, Endura, Secura, Samrat, Maestro,

Stamina etc, market aggressiveness has been much lower than

competitors like MRF or Apollo. During the year, Ceat posted a

rise of 21%yoy in truck tyre sales in the replacement market in

value terms. This was made possible by the 22%yoy increase in

the production of truck tyres.  In FY2000, sales of tyres

contributed to 90.3% to the total turnover. During the year, the

company has launched new products under the brand names

‘Fleet Master’, ‘Turbo Lug’ and ‘Elevata’.

Tubes and flaps

The company does not have any production facility for

manufacturing of tubes and flaps. It sources the products from

other manufacturing units. In FY2000, sales of tubes and flaps

contributed to 9.6% of total turnover. It sold 5.03mn tubes as

compared to 4.47mn in FY99 and 1.34mn flaps as compared to

1.15mn in FY99.

Exports

Ceat is the second largest tyre exporter after J K Industries.

Export sales on a FOB basis has fallen by 9.5%yoy from Rs1.2bn

in FY99 to Rs1.08bn in FY2000. Export sales were hampered by a

demand decline in the US market.

Its Sri Lankan venture Associated Ceat Pvt Ltd has a 55% share

of the Sri Lankan market. In November 1998, the company tied

Page 36: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

up with a local firm, Kelani Tyres Ltd. This merger would have

combined production capacity of 34 metric tons. The turnover of

the JV grew from Sri Lanka Rs1.29bn in FY99 to SL Rs1.36bn in

FY2000. Profit before tax rose 28%yoy to SL Rs75mn.

Expansion plans

The company has planned a capex of Rs1bn spread over the

FY2000 and FY01. While Rs400mn will be spent on capacity

upgradations, Rs600mn will be utilized for a new radial facility at

its Nashik plant, which as part of the first phase will start

commercial production in June 2000. A greenfield project is likely

to be set up in the second phase. The company had taken over

Rado Tyres in Kerala in FY98 and plans to increase its

manufacturing capacity from 15,000 to 40,000 in the first phase

and 70,000 in the next phase.

Outlook

Ceat’s fortunes are now (post restructuring) entirely linked to the

tyre industry’s fortunes. As a leading player in the commercial

vehicle, passenger car market and two-wheeler tyre segments, it

is expected that the company would take advantage of the

continuing growth in these segments. The new radial tyre plant

coming up in Nashik would help the company find a foothold in

the fast growing segment. Even in the export market, the

company is reducing its dependence on standard bias-ply

products and concentrating on niches. The company has done

well by rationalizing its debt portfolio by replacing short-term

loans with long term financing from FIs. This has brought down

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interest costs as has been witnessed in FY2000. However, with

sale of investments in its many subsidiaries, Ceat can no longer

prop its operational income with ‘other’ income. Moreover,

operating margin will be affected by the rise in prices of raw

material inputs. With augmented capacities for car radial tyres

and two/three wheeler tyres and initiatives in the field of supply

chain management and controlling costs, Ceat is expected to do

reasonably well for the rest of the fiscal.

Demand determinants

Growth of automobile industry will increase vehicle

population and thereby the demand for tyres in the OEM as

well as the replacement markets.

Relative importance of road transport and long distance

travel by road leading to increased need to replace tyres.

Development of export market will also enable higher

capacity utilization levels.

Economic scenario and credit availability will determine

ability to purchase automobiles and in turn spur demand

for tyres.

Retreading saves up to 80% on original cost and this will

have a negative impact on fresh demand.

Radialisation increases the life of tyres and reduces the

need for a replacement, which may inhibit volume growth.

Earning drivers

Raw material price fluctuations: Prices of natural rubber, an

agricultural commodity. Other raw materials are mainly

petrochemical based and movements are cyclical.

Page 38: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Freeing imports of radial tyres will affect margins in that

segment.

Ceat Tyres targets 14 per cent growth

MUMBAI, Sept 15 (PTI) —R P Goenka controlled Ceat Ltd has set

a sales target of around Rs 1400 crore for the current year while

the profits of the company are expected to increase by 14 per

cent over last year.

In the first five months of the current fiscal, the company has

recorded sales of Rs 533 crore which is 19 per cent more than

the corresponding period last year, Vice-Chairman Harsh Goenka

told shareholders at its 40th AGM here today.

“In order to emerge as a market leader, the company’s

management has set a growth target “of 14 per cent against a

projected industry growth of 6 per cent,” he said.

The company intends at least a one per cent growth in market

shares in all the segments it operates in, Goenka said. At

present, in scooter tyres it has a market share of 21 per cent,

motorcycles 11 per cent and car tyres 19 per cent.

Export turnover is expected to be around Rs 140 crore this fiscal,

Goenka said. It mainly exports to the United States, West Asia,

Africa and South America.

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Ceat’s exports last year dipped to Rs 128 crore from the previous

year’s Rs 153 crore chiefly due to the South Asian crisis and lack

of demand from the US and Latin American countries.

Essel Packaging: The Board of Directors of Essel Packaging

Limited yesterday announced payment of a special “millennium”

dividend of 150 per cent to its equity shareholders.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results  (FY2001)                                                                  

May 08, 2001

Sales of tyre major Ceat limited declined 11.7% on the

back of sluggishness in truck and passenger car tyre sales.

Sales in this fiscal were Rs 11,904mn as compared to Rs

13,477mn in the previous year. The 11 months from April

2000, to February 2000, has been a period of near-

stagnant growth for the domestic tyre industry, with the

production increasing by mere 1% compared with the

same period last year.

Total expenditure came down by 9.2% to Rs 11,665mn (Rs

12,844mn). Operating profit dipped 38% to Rs 564mn (Rs

910mn).

Continuing non-tariff barriers in the newly emerging

markets, allowing direct import of natural rubber only

through STC and sharp rise in price of petro products have

all combined to severely dent the profitability of the

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company. OPM as a percentage of total income came down

to 1.9% (4.6%).

Depreciation increased 13.5% to Rs 165mn (Rs 145mn).

The rise was due to new plant that has been commissioned

in Nasik.

Ceat reported a net loss of Rs 137mn as compared to a

profit of Rs 201mn in the previous fiscal. This may be

attributed to drop in demand and higher input costs on one

hand and slowdown in exports on the other.

The company will have to face competition through

effective cost control, higher operating efficiency and new

marketing strategies.

Financial Highlights

Period to 03/01 03/00 Growth

Rs in mn (12) (12) %

Sales 11,903.6 13,476.8 (11.7)

Other income 325.7 277.3 17.5

Total income 12,229.3 13,754.1 (11.1)

Expenditure (11,665.4) (12,844.0) (9.2)

Operating profit 563.9 910.1 (38.0)

Interest (534.2) (537.4) (0.6)

Depreciation (164.8) (145.2) 13.5

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PBT (135.1) 227.5 -

Tax (2.0) (26.4) -

PAT (137.1) 201.1 -

Adjusted OPM (%) 1.9 4.6 -

Equity 350.9 350.9 -

EPS (Rs) - 5.7 -

Company Results

Scrip Code : 500878    Company Name : CEAT LTD

Type Audited Audited UnAudited Audited

Date Begin 01 Apr 04 01 Apr 03 01 Apr 02 01 Apr 01

Date End 31 Mar 05 31 Mar 04 31 Mar 03 31 Mar 02

Description

Gross Sales 17803.1 16479.5 14882.7 13613.7

Excise Duty -2523.2 -2471.2 -2750.5 -2474.7

Net Sales 15279.9 14008.3 12132.2 11139

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Other Income 389.81222.2 275.4234

Total Income 15669.7 15230.5 12407.6 11373

Expenditure -14884.4 -13817 -11417.3 -10576.7

Operating Profit 785.31413.5 990.3796.3

Interest -641.9 -764.1 -478.8 -572.7

Gross Profit 143.4649.4511.5223.6

Depreciation -220.6 -221 -218.4 -188.4

Profit before Tax -77.2 428.4293.135.2

Tax 10 -81.6 -109 -11.2

Profit after Tax -67.2 346.8184.124

Extraordinary Items 48.5 -206.2 - -

Net Profit -18.7 140.6184.124

Equity Capital 351 350.9350.9 -

Reserves 2618.1 2993.4 2932.3 -

EPS -0.53 4.01 5.24 0.68

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Nos. of Shares - Non Promoters20473118 20473118

20473318 -

Percent of Shares - Non Promoters 58.1458.1458.14-

Result Type A A A A

Notes

ln a significant move, the Rs.1,500-crore Ceat Ltd has tied up

with leading portal Yahoo India as part of its online marketing

strategy. With this tie-up the company plans to roll out a host of

online promotions and Internet ads in a bid to connect with the

youth segment. In fact shedding its fuddy buddy image, Ceat Ltd.

id now exploring new mediums to create a contact point with its

consumers.

As for Ceat's tie-ups with other portals, says Ceat Ltd vice-

president (marketing) Kalyan Paul: "We are in talks with other

portals but it's too early to talk about it now. Incidently, the

company has an online presence with a Website for its sports

property Ceat Cricket Ratings. Adds Mr. Paul: “This property is

now being made more accessible to cricket fans by promotion

through tie-ups with portals such as Yahoo India.” Clearly, the

company is now stepping up its online marketing plans to woo

the youth segment.

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Cashing in on the growing popularity of Short Messaging Service

(SMS) also plans to enter this alternative medium to touch base

with its target audience. “In addition to the Net, we are

evaluating all formats which will help us connect with the youth-

SMS included”, informs Mr. Paul.

As Indian corporates are increasingly opting for new media tools

to connect with the youth segment, why has Ceat Ltd. opted for

this mode of marketing now? Mr. Paul explains that as part of its

new marketing plan to develop a younger image for the brand,

Ceat is now exploring new mediums  to create a contact point

with its  consumers. "Since, there is a lot of synergy between

two-wheeler owners and the Net audience, the company is

planning to use Internet as a medium. A plan is being put into

place to use this interactive medium to build the Ceat brand

among the youth, who are today’s consumers for two-wheeler

tyres and future ones for car tyres”, he adds.

To meet the objective, the company is now using tools such as e-

mail newsletters which give tyre users an opportunity to

understand the brand better.

So with these new online initiatives, is the company going for a

totally new brand image? According to Mr. Paul, the Ceat brand

is strong among the target audience and the company is not

looking at changing the brand equity or positioning. The existing

brand plank ‘Born Tough’ has universal and timeless appeal, with

a young and with-it audience.

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"We intend to create a relationship with new users (youth) to

create a market for the future by catching consumers at the

beginning of their purchase life-cycle and maintaining a

relationship based on the delivery of superior value”, he reasons.

As for the future of online marketing in India, Mr. Paul observes

that in today's dynamic media environment, online tools are

enabling marketers to target their messages more effectively to

the relevant audience.

COMPETITORS

India is a manufacturer, expor-ter and importer of Off-The-Road

(OTR) tyres. CEAT, MRF, Goodyear, Balkrishna Tyres, Vikrant

Tyres and TVS are the major manufacturers of OTR tyres in the

country. OTR tyres account for 11 per cent of the country's total

tyre market which is estimated at Rs 12,500 crore. Large-sized

OTR tyres are imported, as their demand volume is low and it

makes more economic sense to import. Also, OTR radials are not

manufactured here and they are also imported. Bridgestone,

Yokohama, Michellin and Pirelli are the MNCs supplying bigger

OTR tyres in this country. Similarly, India also exports OTR tyres

to other countries including Europe and America.

OTR tyres, in India, have gained the limelight because of the

government's massive expenditure programme in infrastructure

building, especially in road construction. In fact, the

government's Golden Quadrilateral project has given a new lease

of life to this otherwise sinking industry. Till 2000-01, the

industry's production was almost stagnant at around 36,000-

37,000 tyres; in 2002-03, the production of tyres crossed 50,000

Page 46: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

numbers. And this year its performance is expected to be even

better. Industry sources claim that production of OTR tyres

should touch 72,000 during 2003-04, a growth of 44 per cent.

During the first 9 months of the current year, the industry has

achieved a growth of 48 per cent.

Says Tom K. Thomas, Vice President (Technical), Ceat Ltd,

"Growth in OTR tyres was insignificant a few years ago. But the

NHDP project has increased the demand for these tyres. During

the next few years the demand for OTRs should grow at the rate

of around 20 per cent every year."

Despite this the mining industry remains the main customer of

OTR tyres in the country. "Nearly 65 per cent of the demand for

OTRs comes from Coal India Ltd," says N. Ganesh, Chief Manager

(R&D), Ceat Ltd. BEML and Caterpillar are the other major

customers of the industry. In the foreseeable future the mining

sector is expected to remain a major customer for OTR tyres.

An important feature of the OTR tyres industry is that majority of

the production (nearly 67 per cent) is exported. Last year exports

saw a substantial jump of 56 per cent. The industry exported

33,530 tyres during 2002-03 as against 21,468 in the previous

year. One of the main reasons for the industry's over

dependence on exports for its survival is the low domestic

demand. Once the domestic demand picks up growth in exports

is expected to come down. And this year the industry is expected

to export 36,200 tyres, which is 50 per cent of the domestic

production. However, the OTR tyres industry is facing some

serious problems. The main cause of worry is rising raw material

prices, mainly natural rubber and petrochemical based raw

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materials. India is the third largest producer and fourth largest

consumer of natural rubber, and fifth largest consumer of natural

rubber and synthetic rubber together in the world. Natural rubber

accounts for nearly 26 per cent of the raw material cost of the

industry. Says Tom K. Thomas, "Rising price of natural rubber

has affected our margins badly. Whatever China consumes, the

price of the same goes up, and whatever China produces the

price of the same goes down. Banning exports is not a solution.

We may have to increase the price of OTRs, as we are planning

to do in the near future."

Technologically, the Indian OTR tyres industry is a step behind

the developed nations. OTR radials are not yet manufactured in

India. Nor do the major players have any plans to manufacture

the same in the near future. But OTR radials have certain

advantages over traditional tyres. OTR radials are costlier; nearly

30 per cent more than the cost of ordinary OTRs. The life of OTR

radials is longer than that of traditional tyres by more than 60

per cent. Also, OTR radials result in saving in consumption of

fuels. OTR radials also provide comfort to the driver thereby

reducing fatigue. Industry experts foresee good growth potential

for the industry in the coming years, both in the domestic market

and export market. OTR tyre manufacturing is a labour intensive

operation and as a result its production abroad is on the decline.

This gives India good scope to expand its market abroad. Also, in

the domestic market, there is expected to be more demand for

Grader and Compactor tyres because of enhanced road

construction activity in the country. "Import of tyres from China

has just started. It may pose a threat in the coming days. Quality

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of the tyres is suspect but they are cheaper," Tom K. Thomas of

Ceat avers. In the coming days retreading of OTR tyres could

become big business. At present, it is dominated by a handful of

players in the country. Considering its potential many players

may take the plunge in the retreading business. Manufacturers

may employ higher productivity building machines like orbitread

technology for quality enhancement. Besides, the country may

start producing bigger size tyres which were hitherto imported.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Industry Overview:

During the year under review, the Tyre Industry grew by 7% in

value and approximately 9% in volume. This clearly reflects the

prevailing excess capacity situation.

The Tyre Industry continues to bear the brunt of increasing

raw material costs. Rubber imports are still controlled,

resulting in high prices. Additionally, the prices of synthetic

rubber and rubber chemicals have risen steeply in

international markets. There has also been 2% increase in

excise duty, effected by the Union Budget announced in

February, 2000 on all tyres, except two wheeler and farm rear

types.

Thus, while there are valid reasons for a commensurate

increase in prices, the intense competition has prevented this

from happening. Margins, therefore, are under pressure.

3. CEAT'S Performance:

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The year 1999-2000 saw CEAT move out of the consolidation

phase and surge ahead with increased visibility in the market

place.

Significant product quality improvements, innovative

marketing strategies, a unique supply chain management

model, cost optimisation measures, and a committed work

force, all saw the Company emerge stronger inspite of

increased competition. In doing so, CEAT further reinforced its

"Born Tough" image and emerged as a preferred brands.

CEAT's growth rate of 15%, which was twice the industry

growth, was a matter of great satisfaction. Particularly

heartening was the 21% increase in the high value truck tyre

category in the replacement market which was made possible

by a 22% increase in truck tyre production the highest in the

country. CEAT gained market share in other replacement

segments as well, further reiterating its superior product

quality, borne out of improved technical design and

manufacturing processes.

Other contributing factors to this improved performance have

been the inculcation of the "Total Quality Management"

culture, intensified training, exposure and involvement of

employees at all levels, which have enabled a flexible market

led manufacturing system to evolve. Constant initiatives were

taken for more effective utilisation of resources and reduction

of costs. These will be intensified even further in the future.

A lot of new initiatives in marketing were undertaken. A new

advertising campaign and innovative communication during

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the Cricket World Cup which promoted the CEAT Cricket

Ratings, helped improve brand visibility. The new look CEAT

Shoppes were launched in phases across the country and

have already set new standards in tyre retailing. A unique

dealer loyalty programme to further reinforce CEAT's long

standing relations with dealers elicited excellent response.

The consistently high quality of after sales service was

maintained with the implementation of an ongoing training

programme for all staff associated with this service, including

technical service personnel at the dealer outlets.

The integrated logistics system - which links 126 stocking

points with the two factories continued to work well and

ensured availability of the right product at the right time,

hereby keeping inventory levels low.

4. Exports:

The decline in demand from the US market, which was

flooded with cheap brands from all over the world, led to

CEAT's exports declining by 7.5%. Strategies have been

drawn up to reverse this situation and steps to penetrate

other markets have already been taken. These initiatives will

see exports on the growth path once again.

5. Manufacturing:

The capacity optimisation projects at the Mumbai and Nasik

Plants are progressing on schedule. The new radial tyre

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facility coming up at Nasik is expected to be completed on

time with manufacturing commencing in May-June 2000.

The Off-take Agreement for radials and two and three wheeler

tyres with erstwhile joint venture partner, Goodyear, expires

in August 2000. This may be extended for a further period.

The expansion plan at CEAT's associated company, Rado

Tyres Ltd, located in Kerala, has been implemented. This will

enhance the conversion capacity of two and three wheeler

tyres to 70000 tyres per month.

6. Joint Venture in Srilanka:

The Joint Venture structure of the Strategic Alliance in Sri

Lanka which CEAT, jointly with Associated Motorways Ltd,

entered into with Kelani Tyres Ltd, effective 1st November,

1998, has been completed.

The turnover of this joint venture, under CEAT-Kelani

Associated Holdings Pte Ltd, grew from SL Rs1293 mn in

1998-1999 to SL Rs1357mn in 1999-2000. Profit before tax

rose 28% from SL Rs58.65mn to SL Rs75mn during this

period.

The Indian Tyre Industry is a vibrant segment of the Indian

economy and is the wheels of the entire road transport sector

of India, producing over 23.7mn tyres (4 Wheeler Tyres –

Organized Sector) in FY03. In addition, there is a production of

25.7mn tyres in 2/3-wheeler tyre segment. The steady growth

of the industry can be gauged from the fact that the industry

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is growing at an annual growth rate of 6%, however there is

an excess supply over demand in certain categories. The total

industry turnover in FY03 was Rs128.4bn and is a significant

contributor to the Indian exchequer to the extent of Rs44bn

by way of excise and other taxes. Approximately 80 % of the

Industry production, in terms of value, comes from Heavy

Commercial (Truck /Bus) and Light Commercial tyres.

The Indian tyre industry caters to all segments of the market i.e.

OEM

Replacement

STU

Defence

Exports

The total size of domestic market (4 wheeler tyres) can be

estimated around 19.4mn tyres/annum for the FY03 and is

expected to go up to 28.4mn tyres/annum by FY08. In addition,

the tyre industry exports Rs13bn of tyres across 6 continents and

over 60 countries.

FY03 has seen a recovery in tyre Industry, due to up

swing seen in automobile industry? Do you expect the

trend to further intensify?

Overall the year was better in terms of tyre consumption.

Buoyancy has been observed in production and sales of all

categories of vehicles during the year. Truck & Bus production

grew by 23.6%, LCV by 31.9%, Car by 11.5%, MUV and Jeep by

8.2%. Tractor vehicle production, which declined during the year,

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however is showing some signs of improvement, due to good

monsoon this year.

We expect the growth trend to further intensify. Truck & Bus

segment will continue to grow along with Passenger Car & MUV

segment in double digits. Also we are expecting tractor segment

to emerge out of red.

What are the major threats for the Indian tyre industry?

Opening of Indian economy, reduction in import duties and

concessional import tariffs for countries like China and

South Korea (under Region Trade Agreements) shall lead to

high volume of imported tyres.

Particularly in light of the fact our country’s infrastructure

continues to remain inadequate and incompetent. e.g.

Power rates are very high apart from

inadequate availability.

Cost of money very high

Manpower productivity is poor

Some progress in road and ports sector

Ever rising raw material costs, petroleum prices have a

direct bearing on the health of tyre industry

Being the core sector, tyre industry performance is directly

linked with the performance of the overall economy and

the automobile sector.

Tyre industry performance also is impacted by the

performance of agricultural sector.

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As the future unfolds, the tyre industry may be impacted

by competition form railway sector.

The sizes of the Indian tyre manufacturing plants are not of

global scale and hence some of them may find the going

difficult.

We are hopeful of improvements in these areas of infrastructure

development.

The raw materials cost are rising.

The rising raw material costs will certainly impact the

operating margins. We will make efforts to reduce the impact

by improving the productivity and efficiency. However, if

impact is substantial we will have no other option, but to

increase the selling price of the tyre.

We do have long-term contract with suppliers. However,

prices are fixed for a quarter or six-month. There after it

varies depending upon crude prices as most of the raw

material, except natural rubber, are petroleum based.

What is the USP of the Company?

Continuous innovation and state of the art technology backed

by quality is the mantra of success at JK Tyre and this has

given us a clear competitive edge over our competitors.

JK Tyre, Pioneered the Radial revolution in India two decades

ago and ever since then we have been riding the technology

ladder. We offer the entire range of 4 wheeler radials i.e.

Truck & Bus, LCV, Car, Jeep and Farm. We launched India’s

first eco-friendly range of colored radials and are set to drive

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the second green revolution with the launch of the tractor

radial.

Globally radialization in the truck and bus segment is over

60%. Envisioning the need for products to cater to changing

freight & passenger movement patters on superior vehicles

running on the fast improving road infrastructure, JK Tyre

pioneered the introduction of truck and bus all steel Radial

tyres in India for the first time. The company has deployed

significant resources in the developing the market and

educating the customer on the value proposition of truck and

bus radial tyres. Backed by an all India service network along

the national highways, JK Tyre is all set to drive yet another

radial revolution in the country.

Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer and Tyre Research Institute

(HASETRI) is our in-house R&D center and is one of its kind in

Asia. Today HASETRI act as a nerve center -

understand/determine consumer needs, develop and provide

suitable products of world-class quality to the Indian

consumer as well as continuously gauge their performance.

This facility is involved in various collaboration projects with

leading research agencies both in India and abroad. HASETRI

is presently engaged in FEA and NDT studies with IIT Chennai,

Elastomer studies with IIT Kharagpur and partnering IIT Delhi

in the study of textiles. The internationally acclaimed

Smithers’ in USA is also working with HASETRI in the field of

VDD and Tyre Mechanics.

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Who are other major players in the tyre Industry, apart

from JK Tyres? What is the share of your company in the

total market share?

Apart from JK Tyre, MRF, Bridgestone, Apollo & Ceat can be

categorized as other dominant players in Indian Tyre industry,

others being Goodyear and Birla. Put together they represent

around 75-80% of the Indian tyre industry.

JK Tyre V/s Competition Shares of Total 4 Wheeler Tyres

Company Share Company Share

JK Tyre 20.9% Ceat 15.9

MRF 22.3% Goodyear 9.5%

Apollo 17.4% Birla 5.6%

Bridgestone 8.5%

Source: ATMA (All 4 Wheeler Tyres) 2002-03 April - March

Who are the major user-segments and what is Company’s

market share in each user –segment. (CVs, Car &Utility

Vehicles and Farm & 2-3 wheelers)?

One can categorize the major user segments in 4 wheeler tyres

as Commercial Segment i.e Truck, Bus and LCV, Passenger

Car Segment i.e Cars, MUVs, Jeep and Farm Segment i.e.

Tractor and ADV.

JK Tyre V/s First Top 3 Players Share – Truck & Bus Segment

JK Tyre Apollo MRF

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25.2% 24.8% 18.8%

Source: ATMA (All 4 Wheeler Tyres) 2002-03 April - March

JK Tyre V/s First Top 3 Players Share – Passenger Line Segment

JK TyreBridgeston

eMRF

18.2% 15.4% 24.7%

Source: ATMA (All 4 Wheeler Tyres) 2002-03 April - March

In terms of revenues, which segment is performing

better? Which segment is likely to drive the growth of

Tyre Industry?

In term of revenue Truck and Bus segment contributes the

maximum around 70%.

Further according to me, growth in commercial vehicle &

passenger car segment, production and sales, will boost up the

demand and thereby continue to drive the growth of tyre

industry.

The infrastructure initiatives like Golden Quadrilateral and NE-SW

corridor, expressways will further drive the Radial revolution in

India, be it Truck & Bus Radial or Passenger car radials.

For JK Tyre the world is the stage, accordingly, it has forged long

term business partnerships with overseas players. We have

established a significant presence in China by way of outsourcing

arrangements as well as participation on manufacturing as

technology partners. Today heavy-duty bias tyres are

manufactured with our Technology and JK Tyre Branding and are

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being successfully marketed in the Chinese and other global

markets.

Today, we export tyres to 60 countries across 6 continents and

enjoy premium brand status in highly competitive markets like

the US. For being the largest exporter of tyres from the country,

JK Tyre has been awarded with Top Export Award CAPEXIL in year

FY03. We have generated revenue of Rs3.1bn (FY03) from our

export operations.

The turnover from Chinese operations will be of significant

contribution in the years to come. We expect to have an

estimated turnover of around Rs4bn in next few years.

What top line and bottom line growth figures are you

expecting for the coming years?

We at JK Tyre are looking for a turnover in excess of Rs50bn

by FY06 and expected to improve our bottom-line

substantially in the years to come. We aim, to be leaders in

the entire range of radial tyres (Truck & Bus, LCV, Passenger

Car, Jeep & Tractor), we operate in.

Could you brief us about merger with Vikrant Tyres and

synergy seen in terms of change in capital structure,

production capacity, sales and realizations per unit?

JK Industries Ltd has metamorphosed into a mega tyre entity

with the merger of Vikrant Tyres Ltd and crossed the magic

turnover figure of Rs20bn in FY03. We are on the threshold of a

new era with JK Tyre consolidating leadership status as well

embarking on the path of enhancing our global presence.

Derived Benefits

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Benefits of synergy of over Rs220mn/annum accruing to

one entity, JK Industries, earlier it was shared by

shareholders of respective companies. The benefits have

been realized in the areas of bulk raw material purchases,

logistics and rationalization of network & sales force.

Combined capacity of tyre stands increased from 3.5mn

tyres/annum to 5.6mn tyres/annum.

The capital of the company stands revised from Rs345.6mn

to Rs374.6mn as on September30, 2003.

Earning Per Share of the restructured entity has

substantially increased and the market price of the share,

which was Rs20-25 per share before the restructuring, is

now being traded at significantly higher prices of over

Rs75/share.

Technology & R&D

Full Range of products

Focused and targeted marketed segmentation

Common strengths of both the brands to be leveraged

Can you brief us about your regional presence? What are

the Company’s plans in order to expand and maximize its

geographical reach?

Today we are exporting to 60 countries across 6

continents. We have a significant presence in Middle East

and a strong presence is South-East Asia, including China,

where in we have strategic alliances for both outsourcing

as well as sale of JK Branded tyres in Chinese markets.

W.r.t. expanding and maximizing our geographical reach,

though, we are the largest exporter from India into

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Americas & Australia, we are in the process of further

developing these markets to cater to the still untapped

potential.

Anything which you like to share with us?

JK Tyre is the first to introduce Truck & Bus Radials in India

is 6 years ahead of the next likely entrant

Selling 0.2mn tyres per annum

Exporting Truck Radial Tyres worth Rs1bn

It has always been the endeavor of your company to make

JK Tyre as India’s most preferred brand. It is a matter of

great pride that JK Tyre is India’s first & only tyre brand

to get the coveted "Super Brand" status and to feature in

the prestigious Super Brands Publication. This is yet

another first ever for any Indian Tyre manufacturer and is a

unique recognition of JK Tyre’s unassailable position as

India’s top tyre brand in quality and image perception.

Further recognition accorded by the world’s top customer

satisfaction survey agency – JD Power, which has

recognized JK Tyre as the "Most Improved Tyre Brand"

in India.

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FUTURE SCOPE OF CEAT TYRES

Demand for tyres is derived from demand for automobiles.

Therefore it is a ‘derived demand’ product and its fortunes are

very closely linked to those of the auto segment. Within the tyre

industry the trucks and buses (T&B) segment accounts for more

than 70% of sales. Though scooters and motorcycle tyre demand

also plays a vital role, in value terms, CVs gain significance.

Tyre varieties can be divided into two categories – cross ply and

radial. The domestic industry is dominated by cross-ply tyres,

due to the poor conditions of roads in the country and

overloading of CVs. This is also the reason why penetration of

radial tyres in the CV segment is negligible and finds presence

only in the passenger car segment. On the other hand, radial

tyres dominate western markets. Radial tyres can be

differentiated on the type of belt used – fiberglass, steel and

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nylon. Worldwide, steel belted radials are more popular due to

their performance advantage.

There are three major consumer segments for tyres namely

replacement segment, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)

and exports. Though fortunes of the sector are closely tied with

the automobile industry, replacement demand continues to

remain the key growth driver. Replacement demand accounts for

as high as 57% of industry volumes. However, the contribution

from OEM and replacement segments varies across sub-

segments in the auto sector. For instance, for the passenger car

segment, demand is balanced from replacement and OEM

categories i.e. 50:50.

Another key transition that is taking place in the industry is the

entry of multinationals like Good Year, Bridgestone and Michelin

in the domestic market. MNC tyre makers have cornered a

higher market share in India in the last three years due to their

international relationships apart from superior technology. Since

Honda, Hyundai and Toyota have an international sourcing

agreement with Bridgestone, it is also the preferred supplier in

India. Goodyear is believed to be the preferred supplier for Ford

India.

An extensive distribution network and strong brand recall are

factors critical to tyre sales. Brand building is given a lot of

importance by manufacturers, who allot 2-3% of sales to

advertising. With the introduction of radial tyres, even

technology has assumed significance. All foreign cars introduced

in the country are on radial tyres.

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Raw materials constitute 60%-70% of production cost of tyres.

Natural rubber and Nylon cord fabrics are the most critical raw

materials as it accounts for 50% of total raw material cost. Since

most of the raw materials are crude derivatives, a rise in prices

has a negative impact on margins.

The export market holds tremendous potential for domestic

manufacturers. Tyre exports have grown at an annual

compounded rate of 27% over the past 10 years. Indian tyres are

exported to 56 countries, which are primarily developing

countries.

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NEW LAUNCHES OF CEAT TYRES

CEAT slashes prices of truck, bus tyres

CEAT-Kelani Associated Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., the leading tyre

manufacturer in Sri Lanka has announced a major reduction in

the retail prices of lighttruck, truck and bus tyres.

"Effective December 10, 2001 this reduction would make CEAT

the most affordable tyre when compared to all international

brands sold in the local market, the company's General Manager

(Sales & Marketing) Ashwin Padukone said.

"In a market battered by the economic downturn, the ability of

the customer to buy new tyres at the correct time has dwindled.

As a result many vehicles are seen on the road with bald tyres,

which seriously jeopardises the safety of the customers and their

vehicles." Mr. Padukone said - "Using new tyres on the front

wheel, has been established as the safest and the recommended

option for safety reasons. We anticipate that this price reduction

will encourage consumers to replace with new tyres at the right

time," he said.

The anticipated benefit of the increase in offtake and the

consequent capacity utilization, has been factored into the price

reduction and has been passed onto the consumers, Mr.

Padukone added. CEAT-Kelani Associated Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., a

joint venture company established in 1999, represents the

strategic alliance between Kelani Tyres Ltd., AMW Group, NDB

and CEAT Ltd. of India. The holding company has two

manufacturing arms, one in Kalutara and the other at Kelaniya.

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COLLABORATIONS

A high percentage of fibre glass produced in the world is used

for re inforcement of plastics The main products maiketed by the

fibre glass plants are Mats, Rovings, Woven Rovings, Yarns etc.

The use of end products i.e. fibre glass reinforced plastics are

mostly in pipes and tanks, boats transport sector, furniture, crash

helmets etc The formulation chosen for continuous fibre glass

production is generally known as E-glass. This has become

standard the world over as it performs well in practice and is

used widely. The fibre glass produced in India is Eglass only. The

process of manufacture of fibre glass consists of several steps

e.g. batch preparation, production of glass melt, glass filament

conditioning, winding, drying of glass cakes, conversion to

saleable products.

In late seventies, the background of the licensing policy was to

issue a large number of letters of intent with a capacity of 2000

Tonnes per annum expandable to 4000 tonnes per annum

capacity. At that time only one unit Fibre Glass RlWngton (FGP)

was working at Thane-Bombay with a licensed capacity of 1290

tonnes per annum. Out of 6 letters of intent issued, only 2 units

i.e. Deccan Fibre Glass Ltd, (now known as Glass Fibre Division,

CEAT Tyres) and UP Twiga Fibre Glass Limited (now closed since

December 1982) were installed in early eighties. The other units

did not materialise mainly due to inadequate market demand

The present guideline of licensing is that no new licence is to be

issued till 1990, since the installed capacity in the country is

around 5000 tonnes per annum against the present demand of

2400 tonnes per annum.

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FGP Ltd, started production in mid sixties with remelt technology

based on imported E-glass marbles. In 1974 they started their

own unit melter for manufacture of E-glass with a licensed

melting capacity of 1290 tonnes per annum #»nd the installed

finishing equipment capacity of 2650 tonnes per annum. The

company is functioning with about 70 to 80 per cent of their

licensed capacity.

UP TWIGA Fibre Glass Ltd, was started in 1980 at Sikandrabad in

Ottar Pradesh. The capacity of the plant is 2000 tonnes per

annum with electric Pochet Furnace. The unit could not develop

proper market for its products.

The unit, had to close down in December 1982 and has not

restarted as yet Deccan Fibre Glass Ltd, came into being in 1981

at Ntehboobnagar in Andhra Pradesh. In 1983 the unit was

merged with CEAT Tyres Ltd, and is presently known as Glass

Fibre Division, CEAT Tyres Ltd, The installed capacity is 1770

tonnes per annum with electric Pochet Furnace. The per

formance of the unit is not satisfactory and the production varies

between 40 to 50 per cent of licensed capacity. The main reason

for dismal capacity utilization is inadequate market demand.

1.1.7. AW the three fibre glass units were put up with foreign

collaboration. The collaboration agreements were more or less

similar, irrespective of the

country of collaboration. The major scope of collaboration was:

a) Provision of technology

b) Basic engineering of the plant

c) Detailed engineering and design of special equipment and

supply of

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materials

d) Procurement and supply of special equipment

e) Commissioning and Supervisory services.

f) Arrangement of training of personnel in collaborator's place

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SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Right products, quality and

reliability.

Superior product performance vs. competitors.

Brand Image

Products have required accreditations.

High degree of customer satisfaction.

Weaknesses

Not very popular in the international market

Delivery-staff need training.

Customer service staff need training.

Processes and systems, etc

Management cover insufficient.

Opportunities Profit margins will be good.

Could extend to overseas.

Could seek better supplier deals.

An applied research centre to create opportunities for developing techniques to provide added-value services

Threats

Vulnerable to reactive attack by major competitors.

Lack of infrastructure in rural areas could constrain investment.

High volume/low cost market is intensely competitive.

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QUESTIONNAIRE

Excerpts from the interview:

How do you see 2002-03 shaping up?

The year so far has been good for the industry. All the tyre

companies had good results in Q1, we too. In Q2 also, that

trend continued - Apollo was the most impressive and

compared to the previous similar period Ceat was also

impressive. Now at end-Q3, I am noticing a mild depression in

demand. I don't know the reason - December demand is

always a little low, but then this year even October-November

demand saw a mild fall.

It could be due to some after-effect of poor rains. But Q3 is a

period of high tyre production. Therefore, there is a little

extra-supply in the market at present. Companies are now

trying to export more to take care of this problem.

But is not the global automobile market sluggish?

I am talking of trucks and LCVs. I won't say the market

worldwide is down. In fact, January-December last year most

tyre companies posted good results. But yes, the kind of

growth that was expected did not happen. However due to

the 9/11 attack in the US, crude oil prices fell and when that

happens everything else falls - synthetic rubbers, caprolactum

- all went down by 20, 30 or 40 per cent.

The result was that even if the demand was low, it did not

matter due to bigger gains on raw material costs. If good

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things happen for bad reasons, nobody talks of it! Until June

this year, the situation was good because crude recovered but

did not go above $23-24. Later, owing to issues like tension in

the Middle East, crude flared up, touching $30-31. I have not

seen a scenario, where within nine months you see crude at

$17 and $31. Almost 80 per cent up! If your main raw material

swings by 80 per cent, its derivatives also swing. At this point

in time, raw material cost is another issue facing the industry.

It is a substantial increase.

So, Q4 and into next year, it is a dicey market one is

looking at...

Q3 demand is more or less the same as Q2. It is seasonally a

little weaker than Q2. But in this particular quarter, I think

there will be some pressure on margins. In Q4, at least for the

first two months, the pressure will be even more due to all the

increases that started coming in from July/September - their

real effect comes a few months later.

Two or three situations are likely. The tyre industry may be

able to pass on the price increase. Can't say whether it will

happen or not because there are now four major players and

there is quite a fight going on in the market place. There is

the possibility that in the Budget, the import duty on raw

materials will come down again - could be a five per cent

decline.

There is also a feeling that by February/March the tension in

the Middle East may settle down a bit, so you could see crude

prices stabilising at $22-24. If so, raw material prices will fall.

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Besides, the rupee has not depreciated against the dollar; it

has somewhat appreciated. Thereafter the industry may be on

a stronger footing.

What could be the impact on the domestic tyre industry,

of the rounds of consolidation beginning to happen?

The market in India is worth about Rs 10,000 crore. It is in the

hands of four big players, two medium players and few small

players. The big four - and here I am assuming Vikrant and JK

are merged - are likely to have a 2002-03 turnover of Rs

8,000 crore. The two medium players - Goodyear and Birla -

should account for Rs 1,000-1,200 crore. The rest should

notch up another Rs 1,000 crore. About 15 years ago, we

were 12 big players. But in my opinion, we will see further

consolidation and nobody should be under the illusion that he

is big enough to be not gobbled up. I would expect in the next

two years, the number of players from four plus two, to be

reduced by at least one. One more player should get out of

business in the next two years and every two years you

should see a player getting out. Ultimately, it will be a

business of just four players.

I am not necessarily saying that the medium ones will go,

because Goodyear will not - they have taken a decision to

remain in the business. They may lose money, but they will

stick around, they have deep pockets. Out of the other five,

one or two will be gobbled up over the next five years. The

strategy has to be - first you take adequate steps to ensure

you are not gobbled up. Second, you must have a topline

whereby you get 20 per cent of the business. So, if you have a

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market size of Rs 10,000 crore, the minimum critical mass is

Rs 2,000 crore. If you don't reach that, the chances of your

going out of business are high.

Worldwide the industry is highly consolidated. It is a $70-

billion market and ours is $2 billion. All Indian players rank

between 10 and 20 globally. The top three worldwide are in

the range of $12-13 billion, the biggest among us is MRF,

about half a billion dollars. If you go to the middle level - like

Continental, Pirelli or Yokohama - they are about $2-2.5

billion. So, we are still one-fifth the size of medium players

globally. But on the other hand, if you reach $1 billion, you

will be in the top 10.

So what is Ceat's strategy here?

Strategy won't be any different for Ceat. For all, it hinges on

three factors - topline, then technology - it changes every 4-5

years and most Indian players are not prepared for

technology changes. They will have to look for outside help in

the form of collaboration or partnership.

Modernisation and minimum critical mass is the other factor.

If you try to do some of these things early - like we tried to set

up a radial plant in league with Goodyear long time back but

were doing it ahead of time - we lost heavily as a result and

had to pull out of the joint venture.

Likewise, everyone is thinking when to get into radials; but

when India will radialise is a million dollar question.

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JK is attempting it, they have a radial facility in Vikrant; but

they are unable to utilise that capacity. They have I think

20,000 plus capacity, but are able to sell around 3,000 in

India. Apollo has announced they will put up a pilot radial

facility in Vadodara and they will come up with production

early next year.

All this is very nice to hear. If you go deep, you won't find

clear answers from any company because it depends a lot on

Government policy, how infrastructure comes up. If roads are

not good, radials won't come.

Are you looking for a technology partner?

I think everybody is! I won't say we are looking for a partner;

we are looking for an association. It is clear for JK, Modi and

Apollo because they have a collaborator.

But in the case of MRF and Ceat, there is no clear signal

because we don't have a technology partner today. I am sure

over time both of us will figure out who can be our technology

partner.

Does a technology partner imply an equity partnership?

Most of the tyre companies abroad are not well placed for

equity participation. Bridgestone lost a lot of money in the US

after which they are not keen to set up plants.

Michelin does not operate in partnerships, they like 100 per

cent ownership or majority ownership with the rest held by

the public. They don't like to have a big local partner

anywhere. The European economy has not done well, so the

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earnings of European tyre companies are down and they are

not keen to invest.

The weakness with Indian companies is technology. But they

are wary of joint ventures or partnerships.

On the other hand, retained earnings at our tyre companies is

poor, Rs 10-20 crore a year. You can't get technology for that

price! So, it is not a simple jigsaw puzzle to be fixed.

Ceat plans to set up Rs 250-cr truck radial unit

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, June 9

CEAT Ltd plans to invest Rs 250 crore to set up a unit to

manufacture radial tyres for trucks, according to Mr Kalyan K.

Paul, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Ceat Ltd. He said that

the unit would have the capacity to manufacture 50,000 to

60,000 tyres per month.

Mr Paul said that internationally the market was moving

towards radials and the company expected the Indian market

would also grow in that direction, especially with the proposed

investment into the road sector, which was expected to bring

in better roads. The company has imported radial truck tyres

from China to test the market, with the first consignment of

300 to 350 tyres coming in two months ago. The company

manufactures radials for passenger cars and this capacity is

expected to be ramped up from 35,000 to one lakh tyres per

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month. The investment in the expansion is around Rs 75 crore

to Rs 80 crore in the current year, Mr Paul said.

In the two and three-wheeler segment, the company, which

has followed a policy of outsourcing, has increased production

capacity from 60,000 to five lakh tyres per month, he said.

The company has chalked out an aggressive sales strategy to

increase market share and planned to tie up with leading

original equipment manufacturers. It also plans to increase its

imports from the Sri Lankan unit. At present, the imports from

Sri Lanka account for almost 5 per cent of the turnover.

Ceat plans to spend Rs 15 crore on advertising this year, Mr

Paul said. He said that the company is also actively getting

into building relationships with the transporters and is

spending Rs 1 crore on AIDS awareness and other lifestyle

issues which are centric to this sector. This campaign is

expected to cover almost all the transport hubs in the

country, Mr Paul said.

CEAT Limited continued on its turnaround plan by registering a

PBT of Rs. 9 crore and Operating Profit (PBIDT) of Rs.27.3 crore

(up 58 percent) during the First Quarter ended 30th June 2002.

The sales of the company’s products grew by 9.7% to Rs. 352

crore as against Rs. 321 crore for the corresponding quarter last

year

Announcing the Q1 Results, Mr. Paras K. Chowdhary,

Managing Director, CEAT Limited said, "These results are a

confirmation of the turnaround of our company, which

has been brought about by the CEAT team through

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greater customer focus and increased operational

efficiencies.

CEAT is targeting to become a Rs. 1500 crore business

this year. We will achieve this

Improves Market Share in Truck & LCV (Light Commercial

Vehicles) Tyres

Truck tyres constitute the largest segment in the Indian tyre

market. Maximum growth has been recorded by the company in

this segment, where several new products were launched to

increase the market share to 17%, up from 13% last year. In the

LCV tyre segment, CEAT’s market share increased to 18%, up

from 13% last year.

To meet the growing demand, the company has also started

outsourcing Truck tyres from its subsidiary company in Srilanka,

CEAT Kelani and from TCIL (Tyre Corporation of India Limited),

Kolkatta. Combined with CEAT’s own capacities, this would help

in further improvement in the market share in the large Truck

Tyre segment.

To strengthen in Two - Three Wheeler Tyres

CEAT is aiming at doubling its market share in the rapidly

growing two wheeler segment, over the next twelve months.

To achieve this, CEAT has started outsourcing its products in

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this segment from two new modern manufacturing facilities at

Hyderabad and Vadodara. The product range is also being

geared up to meet the rapidly growing demand for motor-

cycle tyres. The Hyderabad facility has already started

manufacturing motor-cycle tyres, while the Vadodara facility

is expected to be operational by the last quarter of the

current financial year.

Ceat Limited is a major player in the Indian Tyre market. It is

present in all segments of the tyre market. It has ISO 9000

approved manufacturing facilities at Mumbai and Nashik. It

employs nearly 4800 employees. Ceat is a part of the Rs.6700

crore RPG Enterprises, amongst the leading industrial groups

in India.

Page 78: 47391219 Ceat Tyres Mrkt Marketing Project Report

Bibliography

SL. NO. BOOKS AUTHOR

1. Marketing Management PHILIP KOTLER

2. Marketing Management Dr.PANDAY RASTOGI