a study on comparative analysis of radial tyres in multi axle vehicles among fleet operators...

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

MULTI AXLE VEHICLES

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1.1 INDUSTRY PROFILE TYRE INDUSTRY

A tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and

enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs cock while

keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground. The word itself may be derived from

the word "tie," which refers to the outer steel ring part of a wooden cart wheel that ties

the wood segments together.

The fundamental materials of modern tyres are synthetic rubber, natural rubber,

fabric, and wire, along with other compound chemicals. They consist of a read and a

body. The tread provides traction while the body ensures support. Before rubber was

invented, the first versions of tyres were simply bands of metal t fitted around wooden

wheels in order to prevent wear and tear. Today, the vast majority of tyres are pneumatic,

comprising a doughnut-shaped body of cords and wires encased in rubber and generally

filled with compressed air to form an inflatable cushion. Pneumatic tyres are used on

many types of vehicles, such as cycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, earthmovers, and

aircraft.

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1.2 HISTORY

Iron Tyres

The earliest tyres were bands of iron (later steel), placed on wooden wheels, used

on carts and wagons. The tyre would be heated in a forge fire, placed over the wheel and

quenched, causing the metal to contract and fit tightly on the wheel. A skilled worker,

known as a wheelwright, carried out this work. The outer ring served to "tie" the wheel

segments together for use, providing also a wear-resistant surface to the perimeter of the

wheel. The word "tyre" thus emerged as a variant spelling to refer to the metal bands used

to tie wheels. So these tyres were able to sustain very heavy pressures.

Rubber Tyres

The first practical pneumatic tyre was made by John Boyd Dunlop, born in

Scotland, while working as a veterinarian in May Street, Belfast, in 1887 for his son's

bicycle, in an effort to prevent the headaches his son had while riding on rough roads

(Dunlop's patent was later declared invalid because of prior art by fellow Scot Robert

William Thomson). Dunlop is credited with "realizing rubber could withstand the wear

and tear of being a tyre while retaining its resilience".

Pneumatic tyres are made of a flexible elastomeric material, such as rubber, with

reinforcing materials such as fabric and wire. Tyre companies were first started in the

early 21st century, and grew in tandem with the auto industry. Today, per 1 billion tyres

are produced annually, in over 600 tyre factories, with the three top tyre makers

commanding a 60% global market share.

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Chronology

1843 - Charles Goodyear announces vulcanization

1846 - Robert William Thomson invents and patents the pneumatic tyre

1880 - John Boyd Dunlop begins taping pneumatic tyres to bicycle wheels.

1888 - First commercial pneumatic bicycle tyre produced by Dunlop

1889 - Dunlop patents the pneumatic tyre in the UK

I889 - Adelphi Clement sees a Dunlop pneumatic tyre in London and acquires the French

manufacturing rights for 50,000 francs

1890 - Dunlop, and William Harvey Du Cros begin production of pneumatic tyres in

Ireland; thickened beads, wire retainers, and shaped rims make taping tyres to rims

unnecessary.

1890 - Bartlett Clincher rim introduced

1891 - Dunlop's patent invalidated in favor of Thomson's

1891 - The Michelin brothers patent a removable pneumatic tyre, used by Charles Terront

to win the world's first long distance cycle race, Paris-Brest-Paris.

1892 - Beaded edge tyres introduced in the U.S.

1893 - Cotton reinforcing cords have appeared

1894 - E.J. Pennington invents the first balloon tyre

1895 - Michelin introduces pneumatic automobile tyres; Andre Michelin uses corded

tyres in Paris-Bordeaux-Paris rally: by 1897, they are standard racing tyres

1898 - Schrader valve stem patented

1900 - Cord tyres introduced by Palmer (England) and BFGoodrich (U.S.)

1903 - Goodyear Tyre Company patents the first tubeless tyre, which was introduced in

1954 by Goodyear on Packard's)

1904 - Goodyear and Firestone start producing cord-reinforced tyres

1904 - Mountable rims introduced, allowing drivers to fix their own flats

1906 - First pneumatic aircraft tyre

1908 - Frank Sobering invents grooved tyres with improved road traction

1900 - Tyre companies experiment with adding leather, wood, and steel to prove

durability

1910 - Silver town Rubber Company (London) adds carbon black to white rubber,

creasing durability: now universal

1919 - Goodyear and Dunlop announce pneumatic truck tyres

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1923 - First balloon tyre, named for larger cross section and lower pressure, introduced

by Firestone: debut on the first Chrysler, the 70

1929 - Solid automobile tyres cease to be used

1937 - BFGoodrich introduces the first commercial synthetic rubber tyre

1938 - Goodyear introduces the rayon cord tyre

1946 - Michelin introduces the radial tyre

1947 - Goodyear introduces first nylon belted tyres

1947 - BFGoodrich announces the tubeless tyre 1963 - Use of polyester cord introduced

by Goodyear

1965 - Armstrong Rubber introduces the bias belted fiberglass tyre

1965 - BFGoodrich offers the first radial available in North America

1967 - Poly/glass tyres introduced by Firestone and Goodyear

1968 - United States Department of Transportation (DOT) numbers required on new tyres

in U.S.

1974 - Pirelli introduces the wide (low aspect ratio) radial tyre

2000 - Firestone recalls tyres after Congressional hearings into rollover accidents of Ford

Explorers in Firestone and Ford tyre controversy.

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1.3 TYPES OF TYRES

Bias

Bias tyre (or cross ply) construction utilizes body ply cords that extend diagonally

from bead to bead, usually at angles in the range of 30 to 40 degrees, with successive

plies laid at opposing angles forming a crisscross pattern to which the tread is applied.

The design allows the entire tyre body to flex easily, providing the main advantage of this

construction, a smooth ride on rough surfaces. This cushioning characteristic also causes

the major disadvantages of a bias tyre: increased rolling resistance and less control and

traction at higher speeds.

Belted bias

A belted bias tyre stares with two or more bias-plies to which stabilizer belts are

bonded directly beneath the tread. This construction provides smoother ride that is similar

to the bias tyre, while lessening rolling resistance because the belts increase read

stiffness. The plies and belts are at different angles, which improve performance

compared to non-belted bias tyres.

Radial

Radial tyre construction utilizes body ply cords extending from the beads and

across the tread so that the cords are laid at approximately right angles to the centerline of

the tread, and parallel to each other, as well as stabilizer belts directly beneath the tread.

The belts may be cord or steel. The advantages of this construction include longer tread

life, better steering control, and lower rolling resistance. Disadvantages of the radial tyre

include a harder ride at low speeds on rough roads and in the context of off-roading,

decreased "self-cleaning" ability and lower grip ability at low speeds.

Solid

Many tyres used in industrial and commercial applications are non-pneumatic,

and are manufactured from solid rubber and plastic compounds via molding operations.

Solid tyres include those used for lawn mowers, skateboards, golf carts, scooters, and

many types of light industrial vehicles, carts, and trailers. One of the most common

applications for solid tyres is for material handling equipment (forklifts). Such tyres are

installed by means of a hydraulic tyre press.

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Semi-pneumatic

Semi-pneumatic tyres have a hollow center, but they are not pressurized. They are

light-weight, low-cost, puncture proof, and provide cushioning. These tyres often come

as a complete assembly with the wheel and even integral ball bearings. They are used on

lawn mowers, wheelchairs, and wheelbarrows. They can also be rugged, typically used in

industrial applications and are designed to not pull off their rim under use.

Tyres that are hollow but are not pressurized have also been designed for

automotive use, such as the Tweel (a portmanteau of tyre and wheel), which is an

experimental tyre design being developed at Michelin. The outer casing is rubber is in

ordinary radial tyres, but the interior has special compressible polyurethane springs to

contribute to a comfortable ride. Besides the impossibility of going flat, the tyres are

intended to combine the comfort offered by higher-profile tyres (with tall sidewalls) with

the resistance to cornering forces offered by low profile tyres. They have not yet been

delivered for broad market use.

1.4 THE INDIAN TYRE INDUSTRY - AN OVERVIEW

Market profile

While the tyre industry is mainly dominated by the organized sector, the

unrecognized sector holds sway in bicycle tyres. The major players in the organized e

segment consist of MRF, Apollo Tyres, CEAT and JK Industries, which account 63 per

cent of the organized tyre market. The other key players include Modi Rubber, Kesoram

Industries and Goodyear India, with 11 per cent, 7 percent and 6 percent share

respectively. Dunlop, Falcon, Tyre Corporation of India Limited (TCIL), TVS-Srichakra,

Metro Tyres and Balkrishna Tyres are some of the other players in the industry. MRF, the

largest tyre manufacturer in the country, has strong brand equity. While it rules supreme

in the industry, other players have created niche markets of their own.

Sector specifics

The tyre industry is a major consumer of the domestic rubber production, Natural

rubber constitutes 80 per cent of the material content in Indian tyres, Synthetic rubber

constitutes only 20 per cent of the rubber content of a tyre in India. Worldwide, the ratio

of natural rubber to synthetic rubber is 30:70. Apart from natural and synthetic rubber,

rubber chemicals are also widely used in tyres.

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Most of the RSS-4 grade natural rubber required by the Indian tyre industry is

domestically sourced, with only a marginal amount being imported. This is an advantage

for the industry, since natural rubber constitutes 25 per cent of the total material cost of

the tyres. The two types of synthetic rubber used in tyres are Poly Butadiene Rubber

(PBR) Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR). The former is used in most of the tyres, e the

latter is mainly used in the radials for passenger cars. Synthetic rubber accounts for 14

per cent of the raw material cost. Unlike in the case of natural rubber, India imports 60

per cent of its synthetic rubber requirements.

Apart from rubber, major raw materials are nylon tyre cord and carbon black. The

former is used to make the tyres strong and impart tenacity to it. The latter is responsible

for the colour of the tyre and also enhances the life span of the Nylon tyre cord comprises

34 per cent, while carbon black accounts for another 13 per cent of the raw material cost.

In India, the carbon black used is of N660, N220 and N330 variety.

To sum up, the tyre industry is highly raw-material intensive, with raw material

costs accounting for 75 per cent of the cost of production. Fortunately for industry, the

rubber and carbon black prices have taken a beating recently, eh means lower costs for

the tyre industry. The export-import policy allows import of all types of new tyres and

tubes. However, import of retreaded tyres, either for use or for reclamation of rubber is

restricted. This has led to used tyres being smuggled into the country under the label of

new tyres. Though tyre import all raw materials for tyres except natural rubber are under

Open General License (OGL), only import of natural rubber from Sri Lanka is eligible

under OGL.

Sector Trends

Cross ply tyres have been used in India for several decades. In these tyres, the ply

cords run across each other or diagonally to the outer surface of the tyre, on and nylon

tyre cords are used as the reinforcing medium. These tyres can be added twice during

their lifetime and are hence preferred by Indian transport operators who normally

overload their trucks. A vehicle with the normal carrying city of around intones is usually

loaded with double the capacity. Moreover, also has to contend with the bad suspensions

and bad road conditions. No wonder, 90 per cent of the tyres used in India are crossplies.

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Radial tyres have their cords running radially from bead at 80 degrees angle the

rim or along the outer surface of the tyre. The reinforcing mediums used in tyres are

polyester, nylon, fiber glass and steel. Hence, these tyres are 35 percent more expensive

than the crossplies. But they have a longer life and provide lower fuel consumption. The

unhealthy condition of the Indian roads has resulted radial tyres accounting for only 5

percent of the tyre industry as against a global trend of 60 percent. With two-thirds of the

capacity of all major tyre manufacturers being reserved for radials, this is a real cause for

concern.

Outlook

Globally, the OEM segment constitutes only 45 percent of the tyre market,

exports 15 percent and the balance from the replacement market. In India, the scenario is

quite different. Nearly 75 per cent of the total tyre demand in the try is for replacement.

This anomaly has placed the retreaters in a better position than the tyre manufacturers.

Retreading is looming over the tyre industry as a colossal threat. The Coimbatore based

Elgi Tyres and Tread Ltd., the largest retreater in India, is giving the tyre barons sleepless

nights.

Simply put, rethreading is replacing the worn-out tread of the old tyre with a new

one. The popularity of rethreading stems from the fact that it costs only 20 percent of a

new tyre but increases its life by 70 percent to 80 percent. Most of the retreaters in India

retread their tyres twice during its lifetime, while a few fleet owners even retread thrice.

In their zealousness to economize costs, they overlook the reality that retreading reduces

the quality of the tyre. It is highly popular in the unlike in the North where the

transporters overload their trucks and have to ply their vehicles in a rough terrain an

environment in which buying a new tyre is best option. Though retreading has penetrated

25 per cent of the tyre market, it has not made much of a dent in the rapidly growing two-

wheeler and passenger car segments.

Conclusion

The industry, already bogged by over capacity, is facing a severe threat of

dumping of cheap tyres by South Korea. Under the Bangkok agreement, signed between

India and South Korea in 1976, import of tyres from the latter into India would attract a

concessional duty of 33 per cent as against the normal tariff of 40 percent.

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Two years ago, the industry estimated the growth in the passenger car radial

demand at 20 percent per annum. However, the auto recession has hit them badly. But

South Korea made a killing by dumping cheap car radial tyres and walked pray with 11

per cent of the tyre market.

Another threat to the industry is the price of its raw materials, most of which are

petroleum by-products. Carbon, synthetic rubber and nylon tyre cord are offshoots of

petrochemicals. Thus, the future of the industry will swing with the supply of Crude oil.

The biggest threat, however, is yet to fully materialize. It will be from global major like

Bridgestone and Michelin, which control 36 percent of the global tyre market. These

players have set up their bases in Southeast Asia and the slump of the markets in this

region, coupled with the vast growth potential of the Indian is beckoning them towards

India. Bridgestone has tied up with ACC for a percent radial tyre unit and Michelin is

also marketing its products through retail outlets. The industry is driven more by volumes

than by margins and each of the big five in the global tyre industry Continental, Michelin,

Goodyear, Pirelli and Bridgestone generate an annual tyre production equivalent to the

total demand of the Indian market. These MNCs have deep pockets and can easily

withstand losses for 2-3 years. Their financial muscles also permit them to invest in

R&D, which is beyond the reach of the average Indian tyre manufacturer.

1.5 ABOUT THE RESEARCH STUDY

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The comparative method has taken many forms since Augustus Comte first

employed the concept in 1853 in his foundational Cours de philosophic positive.

Subsequently a variety of comparative methods have emerged in the social sciences with

different goals, units of comparison, and types of data that reflect a variety of theoretical

assumptions and interests. Comparison has formed the core of anthropology, sociology

and other social sciences, to the extent that Emile Durkheim (1938) viewed all

sociological analysis as necessarily comparative. Comparative methods have been

employed for both quantitative and qualitative c:es of such diverse phenomena as

language, political organization, economic sons, religion, myth, kinship, marriage, and

the family.

Three strategies are used in comparative methodologies:

Illustrative comparison, Complete or universe comparison, and Sampled-based

comparisons (Sarana 1975). They are distinguished by the units of comparison (including

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cultures, societies, regions, or communities) and the "particular items or features used to

compare the units. Societies as units can be compared by examining items or traits such

as institutions or practices. Illustrative comparison is the most common form of

comparative analysis and has been employed extensively by theorists from diverse

camps. Items are used as examples to explain or exemplify phenomena found in different

units. They are chosen for their illustrative value and not systematically selected to be

statistically representative. Illustrative comparisons are used in historical reconstructions,

and support interpretations or general assertions. Ethnographic case studies are only

justified as the source for illustrative comparisons.

The second strategy is complete or universe comparison, in which all elements of

the domain within the study, defined geographically (e.g., global or regional) or topically

(e.g., analytical concepts or institutions), form the units of comparison. Comprehensive

regional ethnographic surveys and analyses of particular topics, such as the national

population health indicators of the World Health Organization reports, employ this

approach.

Finally, sampled comparison strategically delimits part of the whole, with the goal

of selecting data that are statistically representative of the variations within the whole and

are intended as the basis for statistical generalizations. While studies of this type abound

in sociology and human geography, they are much less in common anthropology. Within

anthropology, the most widely known example is the George Murdock's Human

Relations Area Files.

1.6 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

GENERAL STRATEGIES OF COMPARATIVE METHODS

Comparative methods have been used for three types of goals: the instruction of

inferential histories, the development of typologies, and the explication of generalized

processes (Peel 1987). Theories based on inferential histories dominated the formation of

the social sciences until the early twentieth century, while the development of typologies

and analyses of processes are now the predominate comparative strategies.

Natural histories of society. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth

centuries scholars compared institutions and practices from many societies to construct

evolutionary accounts of the origin of civilization, culture, and society. Contemporary

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primitive societies gave these theorists evidence of earlier social forms. Following the

natural sciences' histories of geological formations and biological evolution, widely

influential theorists, including Comte, Friedrich 1Engles (1846), Lewis Henry Morgan

(1870, 1877), Karl Marx, Herbert (1898), Max Mueller (1909), James Frazer (1907), and

Edward Tylor (1889, 1903), each constructed an historical narrative that traced the

emergence of civilization from ancient, primitive societies into complex and

sophisticated civilizations of Europe. They proposed a variety of developmental stages,

with characteristic types of social organization, economic activity, and religious practices

that all societies necessarily passed though during their evolution. They proposed the

belief that the nuclear family was the precursor of more complex forms social relations

such as the clan, tribe, city, and nation-state.

Multi-linear evolutionist and diffusions theories. A second wave of historical

comparatives followed in the early twentieth century. Rather than constructing a single

history of human culture or civilization, these scholars attempted to explain the

emergence of particular cultures and the historical diffusion of cultural traits.

Commonalities and differences among cultures were explained as either dependent

inventions of social forms, artifacts, and beliefs, or taken to have diffused from a single

point of origin. The several different schools of diffusion preferred to believe that

invention was infrequent, so consequently they developed comparative methods to infer

relationships among cultural traits and infer their sources. British anthropologists Alfred

Haddon (1895) and W. H. R. Rivers (1914) came to the conclusion, based on their

research in Melanesia, that social change is the product of migration and culture contact.

Taken further, G. Elliott Smith 1928) and W. J. Perry (1923) contended that Egypt was

the root of Western European civilization and that culture diffused to ancient Europe as

the result of culture contact and migration. A similar approach was developed in

Germany and Austria under the tutelage of Fritz Graebner (1903) and Wilhelm Schmidt,

who postulated the existence of Kulturekreise, culture centers, presumably in Central

Asia, from which archetypical cultural items were spread.

The German diffusionist’s methodology and conclusions were inspired by

comparative method that linguists including William Jones (1799), Franz Bopp (1816),

and Jakob Grimm (1893) used to identify historically related romance and Germanic

language families. These linguists inferred the previous existence of a common mother-

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language, Proto-Indo-European, from the systemic variation in sound systems among

these languages and Sanskrit.

Criticisms of the historical comparative methods concern the units of analysis

used for comparison including similarity and diversity among the societies studied, the

comparability of the data used, and the kinds of generalizations that are possible given

the nature of the data. Furthermore the inferential histories paid little heed to the

contextual factors that molded the particular institutions that they examined.

The historical comparativists and the diffusionists comparative methods and

research suffered several weaknesses. They were unable to adequately respond to Francis

Galton's criticism in the discussion that followed Tylor's address to the Royal

Anthropological Institute (Tylor 1899) that, if data were gathered from neighboring

groups, it would be impossible to determine if similarities resulted from a common

history or arose independently from common functions. Questions were also raised about

the ability to establish social rules based on historically contingent phenomena. In

addition, the inferences they made were based on data that was often gathered

unsystematically. Most significantly these theories seemed increasingly less credible as

researchers had greater contact with people in the societies they attempted to explain.

Diffusionist theories lost currency after World War II with the rise of theories designed to

identify social laws rather than cultural origins. Though the diffusionists' theories were

largely discredited as inadequately supported by historical data, the explorer Thor

Heyerdahl (1952) kept them alive with his attempts to demonstrate the possibility of

ancient transoceanic migrations.

1.7 COMPARISON AND SOCIAL LAWS

Three different approaches to comparative studies super ceded the inferential

histories of the evolutionists and diffusionists and established the parameters for

anthropological and sociological comparison for twentieth century. The German-

American anthropologist Franz Boas (1896) decried the "conjectural history" of the

diffusionists' comparative method, in favor of comprehensive ethnographic descriptions

that might reveal the "uniform laws that govern the human mind" (p. 271). Boas directed

the efforts of the American Bureau of Ethnology to document the many cultures and

languages of the native peoples of North America. His goal was to identify and classify

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the external (environmental) and internal (psychological) factors that shape the

expression of these fundamental features of humans societies.

Durkheim's sociology echoed the analytical distinction between structure and

process in Comte's positivist method. His goal was to identify structural forms

morphological units and their subtypes. He created a descriptive-analytic typology with

analytical units that were examined synchronically for contextual variations. The goals of

his sociological analysis were to identify social crucial facts that are elemental in every

society and combined in different numbers and combinations into particular social

species. He contended that "societies are only different combinations of the same original

society". In his studies of religion and social organization, he drew upon examples from

Europe, North American native peoples, and Australia to identify elementary structures

and their elaborations. Durkheim's study of social morphology laid the foundation for

British structure-functionalism in anthropology and Continental structuralist sociology

and anthropology.

The failures of the conjectural histories of the diffusionists spurred a new and

different approach to comparative studies in anthropology based primarily on Durkheim's

social morphology and comparative sociology. British anthropologists A.R.Radcliffe-

Brown (1951), Fred Eggan (1954), and Edward Evans-Pritchard (1963) severely

criticized the historical comparatives and responded by developing more systematic,

controlled comparisons that focused on systems of ship, marriage and family.

Max Weber (1968) took a less positivist approach to social analysis and based his

comparative method on the formulation of ideal types. He began with the recognition that

the researcher plays an important role in framing research questions, identifying units of

analysis, and selecting items for comparison. Rather than assuming an objective

separation of the researcher and data, he constructed ideal types, or analytical models that

did not confuse the researcher's conceptualization of the phenomena with the phenomena

itself. These types enabled him to investigate the phenomena from an acknowledged

starting point and interrogate other aspects of the object during analysis. He employed

ideal types in his comparative studies of the relationship between economy and religion

in Protestant Northern and Catholic southern Europe, the differences between charismatic

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and bureaucratic forms of leadership in Europe and China, and religious practices in

Europe, China, and India.

Clifford Geertz (1963, 1968) used ethnographic cases as real types for

comparisons of social organization, economic systems, and educational systems and

paved the way for comparisons in interpretative anthropology and cultural studies.

A third response to the inadequacies of the historical comparative methods was to

develop sample-based comparisons with ethnographic databases. George Murdock's

Human Relations Area Files and accompanying Ethnographic Atlas were the most

extensive attempt to identify cross-cultural correlations and make statistical

generalizations (Murdock, 1963, Murdock and Yale University Institute of Human

Relations). To this end, he cataloged existing ethnographic data from 10 percent of the

world's cultures identified by the late 1930s. Murdock's approach floundered due to the

difficulties of making correlations, identified by Galton, and its dependence upon existing

data, gathered by others who did not use arable research strategies or common definitions

of phenomena.

COMPARISONS OF PROCESSES

Comparative studies of social process have returned to some topics previously

examined by classical evolutionists and the diffusionists, but with much more constraint

and caution. Research on social and economic change, migration, and cultural contact has

attempted to return a historical dimension to structural analyses. Edmund Leach's (1954)

study of the dynamics of ethnic and political relations in highland Burma paved the way

for the more complex formulations in the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's (1977)

theory of social practice, and in Ulf Hannerz's (1992) analysis of creolization, or the

synthesis of new cultural forms, under the pressures of culture contact and globalization.

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1.8 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To know about the usage pattern of radial tyres in multi axle vehicles

To know about the satisfaction level in fleet operators about radial tyres'

performance.

To compare the performance of the radial Tyres.

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1.9 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.9.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

This research is descriptive in nature.

1.9.2 METHOD OF SURVEY

Method of survey used in this research is sampling survey

1.9.3 TYPE OF SAMPLING

Probability sampling:

Population: 742 (A list given by Senkottai Taluk Lorry Owners Association Senkottai)

1.9.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

Systematic sampling with sampling interval Five

1.9.5 TARGET RESPONDENT

Sampling Unit: Fleet operators in Senkottai with using truck radial tyres.

1.9.6 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

Sampling Size: Totally 142 respondents are taken into consideration for this

Study.

1.9.7 TOOLS USED FOR DATA COLLECTION

Personal direct interview schedule used for data collection

1.9.8 SOURCES OF DATA

Primary data

Primary data was collected through questionnaire and interaction from the

respondents.

Secondary data

Secondary data was collected through Websites, News papers, Magazines,

Pamphlets and Books

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AREA OF RESEARCH

Senkottai town.

PERIOD OF RESEARCH

December 2013 to April 2014

TOOLS USED FOR ANALYSIS

Percentage Analysis and Weighted Average.

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1.10 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

From this research study, one can find performance of radial tyres in multi axle

vehicles at various circumstances.

From this study it is easy to understand who #1 in radial tyre segment is.

1.11 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is limited to Senkottai town alone, so cannot generalize about industry

as whole.

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CHAPTER II

COMPAN PROFILE

VISION

To be amongst the most admired companies in India, committed to excellence.

MISSION

Be a Customer Obsessed Company - Customer First - 24x7

No. 1Tyre Brand in India

Most profitable Tyre Company in India

Motivated and Committed team for excellence in performance

Be a Green Company

Deliver Enhanced Value to all stakeholders

Enhance global presence through Acquisition / JV / Strategic Partnerships

CORE VALUES

“Excellence comes not from mere words or procedures. It comes from an urge to

strive and deliver the best. A mindset that says, when it is good enough, improve it. It is a

way of thinking that comes only from a power within.

JK ORGANIZATION - A CENTURY OF TRUST

Innovation and passion to perform have always been the driving forces at JK

Organization. JK Organization, is one of the leading Private Sector Groups in India, was

founded over 100 years ago - it's been a century of multi-business, multi-product and

multi-location business operation.

JK TYRE - WHEELS TO THE NATION

JK Tyre has five Modern plants in India which are strategically located at

Mysore in Karnataka (3), Banmore in Madhya Pradesh and Kankroli in Rajasthan. JK

Tyre pioneered radial technology in India way back in 1977, and is the Radial Leader in

the country being the only tyre manufacturer offering the entire of 4 wheeler radials i.e.

for Trucks & Buses, LCVs, Cars and Farm. With strong adherence to quality and

customer service we are not only a leading brand in India but also a strong global player

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with a presence in 77 countries across 6 continents offering a wide range of products

backed by world class technology. JK tyres enjoys a premium brand status in various

advanced markets, including the USA and Australia.

LEADING THE WAY

Ever since its inception, JK Tyre has been a leader rather than a follower, we have

garnered many Firsts to our credit like:

First Indian Tyre Company to introduce All Steel Truck & Bus Radials in India in

1999

Pioneered Radial technology in India by introducing passenger radials in 1977

First Indian Tyre Company to be recognized as 'SUPERBRAND' by Global

Advertising professionals

First in India to launch 'Eco-friendly - Green tyre'

First in India to launch 'Dual Contact' - Aquasonic tyre

First to launch Asymmetric' tyre

First in India to launch high performance tyre

H rated - Speed of above 190 kms upto 210 kms

V rated - Speed of above 210 kms upto 240 kms

Z rated - Speed of above 240 kms. Upto 300 kms.

World's first tyre manufacturer to get QS 9000 certification for all its multi-

location operations

World's first tyre manufacturer to get ISO 9001 certification for its entire

operations

.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Customer Satisfaction has always been our prime focus. We are indeed proud of

our highly experienced and professional team for winning the trust of customers and

building strong relationships with them. Our 115 company owned stocking points serve

over 4000 dealers across the country. We have set up 130 JK Steel Wheels - a unique

concept in car tyre retailing which provides value services like wheel balancing,

alignment and tyre care to customers. Truck Radial Care Centers offer after-sales service

for Truck/Bus Radials, which operate on 365 days / 24 hours basis. A large number of

such centers have been set up along all major National Highways. JK Tyre has been

22

among the top two tyre companies in respect of Customer Satisfaction, as per JK Power

Asia Pacific Study, for many years.

FURURE PLANS

India is fast emerging as a global automobile hub particularly for small cars,

offers immense opportunities for JK Tyre to grow its business both organically

inorganically. We have been constantly exploring ways of increasing our presence in

different Id markets, through alliances and acquisitions in tyre and related business. In all

our endeavors, our core focus is on customer delight. Enlarging the customer base,

providing them with better quality of services and more value added products, will

continue to be the key areas of our thrust.

JK GROUP OF COMPANIES

JK ORGANISATION

J.K. Organisation, founded over 100 years ago, is an eminent

industrial group in India. The Group has multi-business, multi-

product and multi-location operations

JK PAPER LTD.

JK Paper Limited is one of the leading manufacturers of reading

and writing paper

JK LAKSHMI CEMENT LTD.

JK Lakshmi Cement Limited is a well respected name in

thecement industry in India

FENNER (I) LTD.

Fenner (I) Limited is a leading manufacturer of Industrial and

Automotive Belts, Oil Seals, Power Transmission Accessories

and Textile Yarn

23

UMANG DAIRIES LTD.

The Creme de la creme of dairy foods

JK SUGAR LTD.

The company's principle activity is to manufacture Sugar.

However, the company currently operates in two segments.

Power and Sugar

JK RISK MANAGERS AND INSURANCE BROKERS LTD.

Services rendered to various clients for all facets of Insurance

both life & non-life.

CLINIRX RESEARCH PRIVATE LTD.

Full Service Contract Research Organisation (CRO)

24

CHAPTER 3

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS

DEMOGRAPHTC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS

Table 3.1

Age wise classification of the respondents

Age Number of Respondents Percentage%

21 – 30 26 26%

31 – 40 24 24%

41 – 50 28 28%

51 – 60 12 12%

Above 61 10 10%

TOTAL 100 100%

Source: (primary data)

Inference

It is inferred that the 26% of the respondents are in the age group of 21-30, 24%

of the respondents are in the age group of 31-40, 28% of the respondents are in the age

group of 41-50, 12% of the respondents are in the age group of 51-60 and 10% of the

respondents are in the age group of above 61.

So the maximum 28% of the respondents are in the age group 41-50.

25

Figure 3.1

Age wise classification of the respondents

.

21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 Above 61

Percentage 26 24 28 12 12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Axi

s Ti

tle

Percentage

26

Table 3.2

Educational wise classification of the respondents

Education

Number of Respondents

Percentage%

S.S.L.C 61 61%

Higher Secondary 20 20%

Diploma 6 6%

Graduate 11 11%

Post Graduate 2 2%

Total 100 100%


Inference:

It is inferred that 61% of the respondents are studied up to High school, 20% fof

the respondents are studied up to Hr.sec, 11% of the respondents are Graduate, 6% of the

respondents are Diploma holders and only 2% of the respondents are Post Graduate.

So the maximum 61% of the respondent are in the S.S.L.C.

27

Figure 3.2

Educational wise classification of the respondents

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

High School Higher Secondary

Diplomo Graduate Post Graduate

Respondents 61 20 6 11 2


Axi

s Ti

tle

Chart Title

28

Table 3.3

Industry Experience of the Respondents

Experience


Percentage%

1 – 5 Years 11 11%

5 – 10 Years 18 18%

11 – 15 Years 19 19%

16 – 20 Years 13 13%

Above 20 39 39%

Total 100 100%


Inference:

It is inferred that 39% of the respondents told that they had the industry

experience of 21 years and above, 19% of the respondents told that they had the industry

experience of 11-15 years, 18% of the respondents told that they had the industry

experience of 6-10 years, 13% of the respondents told that they had the industry

experience of 16-20 years and only 11% of the respondents told that they had industry

experience of 1-5 years.

So the maximum 39% of the respondents are in the industry experience of above

20years.

29

Figure 3.3

Industry Experience wise classification of the respondents

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 Above 20Respondents 11 18 19 13 39


Axi

s Ti

tle

Chart Title

30

Table 3.4

Marital status of the respondents

Marital Status


Percentage%

Married

91

91

Unmarried

9

9

Total 100 100%


Inference:

It is inferred that 91% of the respondents are married and only 9% of the

respondents are unmarried.

So the maximum 91% of the respondents are in the married.

31

Figure 3.4

Marital status of the respondents

Married Unmarried

Respondents 91 9

Percentage 91 9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Axi

s Ti

tle

Chart Title

32

Table 3.5

Number vehicles owned by the respondents.

Number of vehicles

Number of respondents

Percentage (%)

1-5 18 18%

6-10 23 23%

11-15 22 22%

16-20 17 17%

20 above 20 20%

Total 100 100%


Inference:

From the table shows that 23% of the respondents are have 6-10 Multi Axile

vehicles.

So the maximum 23% of the respondents are in 6-10 multi axile vehicles.

33

Figure 3.5

Number vehicles owned by the respondents.

18%

23%

22%

17%

20%

percentage

1 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 20 above

34

Table 3.6

Types Of Tyre Used By Respondents

Type of Tyre


Percentage%

Radial Only

33

33

Radial and Nylon

67

67

Total

100

100%


Inference:

From the table shows that 67% of the respondents are using both radial and nylon

tyres.

So the maximum 67% of the respondent are in the radial and nylon.

35

Figure 3.6

Types Of Tyre Used By Respondents

Radial only Radial and nylon

percentage 33 67

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Axi

s Ti

tle

percentage

36

Table 3.7

Tyre Purchase Decision

Particular


Percentage%

Driver 4 4%

Dealer 10 10%

Friends & relatives 12 12%

Own self 74 74%

Total 100 100%


Inference:

From the table it shows that 74% of the respondents are taking tyre purchase

decision their own self.

So the maximum 74% of the respondents are in own self.

37

Figure 3.7

Tyre Purchase Decision

Driver Dealer Friends own self

percentage 4 10 12 74

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Axi

s Ti

tle

percentage

38

Table 3.8

Experience with Radial tyre by respondents

Years


Percentage%

1-3 46 46%

4-6 33 33%

7-9 11 11%

10-12 8 8%

12 above 3 3%

Total 100 100%


Inference:

From the table it shows that1-3 of the respondents are have the experience with

radial tyres in upto 4 years.

So the maximum 46% of the respondents are in 1-3years.

39

Figure 3.8

Experience with Radial tyre by respondents

Sales

1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

4th Qtr

40

Table 3.9

Radial Tyre Purchase Place

Place of purchase


Percentage%

Company

3

3

Dealer

72

72

Distributor

25

25

Total 100 100%


Inference:

From the table it shows that 72% of the respondents are purchasing radial tyre

from dealer, 25% of the respondents are purchasing radial tyre from distributor, only 3%

of the respondents are purchasing radial tyre from through company.

So the maximum 72% of the respondent of Dealer.

41

Figure 3.9

Radial Tyre Purchase Place

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

company Dealer Distributorpercentage 4.3 72 25

Axi

s Ti

tle

percentage

42

Table 3.10

First Radial Tyre Used By Respondents

Tyre Brands


Percentage%

JK 42 42

MRF 8 8

Apollo 12 12

Ceat 7 7

Birla 5 5

Michelin 14 14

Bridgestone 12 12

Total 100 100%


Inference:

From the table it shows that 42% of the respondents are used JK as a first radial

tyre; followed by Michelin 14% are used as a first one.

So the maximum 42% of the respondents are in JK First radial tyres.

43

Figure 3.10

First Radial Tyre Used By Respondents

JK MRF Apollo Ceat Birla MichelimBridgesto

ne12

percentage 42 8 12 4 5 14 12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Axi

s Ti

tle

percentage

44

Table 3.11

New Brands recently purchased by the respondents

Particulars


Percentage%

JK 13 13

MRF 7 7

Apollo 32 32

Ceat 8 8

Birla 14 14

Michelin 20 20

Bridgestone 6 6

Total 100 100%


Inference

From the table it shows that 32% of the respondents are now purchased APOLLO

radial tyres and 20% of the respondents are now purchased MICHELIN radial tyres, 14%

of the respondents are now purchased BIRLA radial tyres, 6% of the respondents are now

purchased BRIDGESTONE radial tyres, and 13% of the respondents are now purchased

JK radial tyres, only 7% of the respondents are now purchased MRF radial tyres.

So the maximum 32% of the respondents are in Apollo.

45

Figure 3.11

New Brands recently purchased by the respondents

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

JK MRF Apollo Ceat Birla Michelin Bridgestone

percentage 13 7 32 8 14 20 6

Axi

s Ti

tle

percentage

46

Table 3.12

Awareness of performance of all radial tyres

Particulars


Percentage%

Yes

93

93

No

7

7

Total

100

100%


Inference:

From the table it reveals that 93% of the respondents are aware of the

performance of the all company radial tyres.

So the maximum 93% of the respondents are in yes.

47

Figure 3.12

Awareness Of Performance Of All Radial Tyres

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

yes Nopercentage 93 7

Axi

s Ti

tle

percentage

48

Table 3.13

Number Of Respondents Using Respective Brands Of Radial Tyres

Particulars


Percentage%

JK 65 65

MRF 15 15

Apollo 25 25

Ceat 12 12

Birla 15 15

Michelin 20 20

Bridgestone 25 25

Total 100 100%


Inference

JK and Michelin are mostly usage tyres in radial tyre market.

So the maximum 65% of the respondents are in JK Tyres.

49

Table 3.14

Satisfaction level about JK radial tyres (119)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 21 25 57 16 0 408 3.5

Retreads 5 18 57 39 0 346 2.9

Tyre mileage 17 54 37 13 0 438 3.68

Cost per kilometer 10 39 50 20 0 396 3.32

Diesel mileage 21 51 34 13 0 437 3.67


Inference

From the above table shows that respondents satisfaction level of performance

factors of JK tyres are as follows

1. Tyre mileage is satisfied.

2. Diesel mileage is satisfied.

3. Durability is satisfied.

4. Cost per kilometer is Neutral.

5. Retreads are Neutral.

50

Table 3.15

Satisfaction level about Apollo radial tyres (62)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 17 23 18 4 0 239 3.85

Retreads 6 28 22 6 0 220 3.54

Tyre mileage 9 26 16 11 0 219 3.53


Diesel mileage 14 34 14 0 0 248 4


Inference:


factors of APOLLO tyres are as follows

1. Diesel mileage is satisfied.


3. Cost per kilometer is satisfied.

4. Retreads is satisfied.


51

Table 3.16

Satisfaction level about MICHELIN radial tyres (121)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 121 0 0 0 0 605 5

Retreads 95 26 0 0 0 579 4.78

Tyre mileage 110 11 0 0 0 594 4.90


Diesel mileage 98 23 0 0 0 582 4.80


Inference

From the above table shows that respondents satisfaction level of Performance

factors of MICHELIN tyres are as follows

1. Durability is Highly Satisfied

2. Cost per kilometer is Highly Satisfied

3. Tyre mileage is Highly Satisfied

4. Diesel mileage is Highly Satisfied

5. Retreads is Highly Satisfied

52

Table 3.17

Satisfaction level about BRIDGESTONE radial tyres (69)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 23 28 18 0 0 281 4.07

Retreads 28 35 6 0 0 298 4.31

Tyre mileage 34 30 5 0 0 305 4.42


Diesel mileage 48 21 0 0 0 324 4.69


Inference


factors of BRIDGESTONE tyres are as follows

1. Diesel mileage is Highly Satisfied.


3. Retreads is Satisfied.

4. Cost per kilometer is satisfied.


53

Table 3.18

Satisfaction level about BIRLA radial tyres (32)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 0 5 20 5 2 92 2.88

Retreads 0 2 15 10 5 78 2.47

Tyre mileage 0 2 13 12 5 76 2.37


Diesel mileage 0 14 15 3 0 107 3.34


Inference


factors of BIRLA tyres are as follows

1. Diesel mileage is Neutral.

2. Durability is Neutral.

5. Cost per kilometer is Neutral

4. Retreads is Dissatisfied.

5. Tyre mileage is dissatisfied

54

Table 3.19

Satisfaction level about CEAT radial tyres (25)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 0 6 15 5 0 79 3.16

Retreads 0 3 14 8 0 70 2.80

Tyre mileage 0 3 16 6 0 82 2.88


Diesel mileage 0 9 13 3 0 81 3.24


Inference


factors of CEAT tyres are as follows


2. Durability is Neutral.

3. Tyre mileage .is Neutral.

4. Retreads is Neutral

5. Cost per kilometer is Neutral.

55

Table 3.20

Satisfaction level about MRF radial tyres (32)

Performance

criteria

H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Durability 0 0 17 10 5 74 2.37

Retreads 0 0 14 10 8 70 2.20

Tyre mileage 0 0 18 11 3 79 2.50


Diesel mileage 0 0 22 2 0 102 3.20


Inference


factors of MRF tyres are as follows


2. Tyre mileage is Neutral.

3. Durability is dissatisfied.

4. Retreads is Dissatisfied.

5. Cost per kilometer is dissatisfied.

56

Table 3.21

Satisfaction level about non performance factors of JK Tyre (119)

Particulars H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Price 14 46 47 12 0 419 3.52

Availability 19 60 30 10 0 445 3.73

Company Offer 12 25 60 15 7 337 3.16

Service 5 41 57 12 4 388 3.26


Inference

From the above table shows that respondents' satisfaction level of non

performance factors of JK tyres are as follows

1. Availability is satisfied.

2. Price is Satisfied.

3. Service is Neutral.

4. Company offer is Neutral.

57

Table 3.22

Satisfaction level about non performance factors of APOLLO Tyre

Particulars H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Price 7 26 25 4 0 222 3.60

Availability 20 30 12 0 0 256 4.12

Company Offer 0 12 40 10 0 188 3.02

Service 2 10 35 14 1 184 2.96


Inference

From the above table shows that respondents satisfaction level of non

performance factors of APOLLO tyres are as follows

1. Availability is satisfied


3. Company offer is Neutral

4. Service is Neutral

58

Table 3.23

Satisfaction level about non performance factors of MICHELIN Tyre (121)

Particulars H.S

(5)

S

(4)

N

(3)

D.S

(2)

H.D.S.

(l)

∑WX ∑WX/W

Price 15 57 49 0 0 450 3.71

Availability 18 40 50 13 0 415 3.42

Company Offer 0 2 30 70 21 251 2.07

Service 0 20 67 24 0 329 2.72


Inference

From the above table shows that respondents satisfaction level of non

performance factors of MICHELIN tyres are as follows


2. Availability is Neutral.

3. Service is Neutral.

4. Company offer is dissatisfied.

59

CHAPTER 4

FINDINGS

TYRE USAGE PATTERN

2 61% of the respondents are studied up to High school and 20% of the respondents

are studied up to Hr.sec.

3 72% of the respondents have 11-20 vehicles.

4 77% of the respondents are using both radial and nylon tyres.

5 100% of the respondents take tyre purchase decision their own self.

6 3/5th of the respondents are have the experience with radial tyres up to 4 years.

7 72% of the respondents are purchasing radial tyre from dealer.

8 44% of the respondents are used JK as a first radial tyre; followed by MICHELIN

35% are used as a first one.

9 30% of the respondents are now purchased APOLLO radial tyres and 25% of the

respondents are now purchased MICHELIN radial tyres.

10 66% of the respondents are aware of the performance of the all company radial

tyres.

Satisfaction Levels on Performance Factors

Respondent’s satisfaction levels of performance factors of JK tyres are that they

are satisfied with tyre and diesel mileage, durability and neutral about cost per kilometer,

and number of retreads.

Respondent’s satisfaction levels of performance factors of APOLLO tyres are that

they are satisfied with all the performance factors.

Respondent’s satisfaction levels of performance factors of MICHELIN tyres are that they

are highly satisfied with all the performance factors.

Respondent’s satisfaction levels of performance factors of BRIDGESTONE tyres

are that they are satisfied with all the performance factors except diesel mileage. In diesel

mileage they are highly satisfied.

60

Satisfaction Levels on Non Performance Factors

Respondent’s satisfaction levels of non performance factors JK of tyres are that

they are satisfied with availability and price, and neutral with company offer and service.

Respondent’s satisfaction levels of non performance factors of APOLLO tyres are that

they are satisfied with availability and price, and neutral with company offer and service.

Respondents satisfaction level of non performance factors of MICHELIN tyres are, that

they are satisfied with price and neutral with availability and service, and dissatisfied

with company offer.

Ranking of Performance characteristics

Brand Durability Tyre

mileage

Retread Cost per

kilometer

Diesel

mileage

JK 2 4 3 6 3

APOLLO 4 3 5 5 4

MICHELIN 1 1 6 4 1

BRIDGESTONE 3 2 7 2 2

Chi square test

There is no significant relationship between number of vehicles and first time

purchased radial tyres for JK and MICHELI

There is no significant relationship between radial tyre experience and recently

purchased radial tyres for APOLLO and MICHELIN

ANOVA

There is difference between average performance satisfaction and type of radial

tyre companies.

There is no difference between average satisfactions of performance factors

within the same brand.

There is difference between average usage of radial tyres and industry experience.

There is difference between average "usage of radial tyres and type of companies.

61

SUGGESTIONS

35% of the respondents are using JK and other any one brand of radial tyre, so JK

tyre may focus these customers, to retain them.

To acquire the new customer base, JK tyre may focus on clear cut advertisement

of product specification and features, such as explaining them about usage

methods. (Because, 80 % of the respondents are studied only high school level.)

APOLLO and BRIDGESTONE becomes close competitor for JK tyre.

MICHELIN surpasses these brands and becomes Number 1 in performance. So

JK tyre may adopt product strategy (because in performance characteristics JK

secures least score compared to APOLLO and BRIDGESTONE)

The researcher suggests that JK tyre may focus on R&D regarding tyre, to

increase tyre mileage after retread. (Durability of the JK tyre is high but after

retread durability dramatically reduced.)

62

CONCLUSION

From this study the researcher studied about the Tyre types and their usages,

perception of radial tyres by fleet operators. Also this study reveals present market

situation of radial tyre segment, and position of JK tyre in radial tyre segment.

However this study points out some important information to management of JK

tyre and Industries Limited. If JK tyre continues their present product strategies they will

lose their market share in radial tyre segment of multi axle vehicles, although they are

pioneer in that segment.

63

BIBILIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

S.P.GUPTA, "Statistical Methods", Sultan Chand and Sons Publishers (2008),

New Delhi

DEBASHIS PATI, "Marketing Research", University Press Publications (1999)

WEBSITES

www.atma.com

http://www.atma.com/

64

ANNEXURE

A STUDY ON COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF

RADIAL TYRES IN MULTI AXLE VEHICLES AMONG FLEET

OPERATORS AT SHENGOTTAI

1. How many multi axle vehicles you have?

a) 1-5 b) 6-10

c) 11-15 d) 16-20

e) 20<

2. Which type of Multi axle Vehicle you have? (Tick Appropriate)

Truck 6/2 8/2 10/2 12/2

Tipper

Trailer

Tanker

Container

All of Them

3. How long you are in the lorry transport industry?

a) l-5years b) 6-10yeras

c) ll-15years d) 16-20 years

e) 21 and above

4. Which type of Tyre you have uses?

Nylon

Radial

Both

5. Who decide Tyre Purchase decision for your vehicles?

a) Driver b) Dealer

c) Friends and Relative d) Yourself

6. How long you year you has been used radial Tyre for your vehicles?

a) 1-3 b) 4-6

c) 7-9 d) 10-12

e) 13-15

65

7. Where you purchase the Radial Tyre for your vehicle?

a) Company b) Dealer

c) Distributor

8. Which company you have fleet account?

a) JK b) MRF

c) APOLLO d) CEAT

e) BIRLA f) MICHELIN

g) BRIDGE STONE

9. Which company radial Tyre you had used first?

a) JK b) MRF

c) APOLLO d) CEAT


g) BRIDGE STONE

10. Who will make purchase Decision for Your vehicle's Trailer's Tyre?

a) Yourself b) Trailer Builder

11. What are all the factors you will consider before purchase a tyre?

Price

Availability

Performance

Company Name

Product Specs

Dealer Relationship

Company offer

12. What are all the Radial Tyres you have been used Up to now?

JK

M.R.F

APOLLO

CEAT

BIRLA

MICHELIN

BRIDGE STONE

66

13. Please mention the appropriate numbers

Highly Satisfied Satisfied Medium Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied

5 4 3 2 1

JK MRF APOLLO CEAT BIRLA MICHE BRIDGS

Durability

Retreads

Tyre Mileage

Cost per Kilometer

Diesel Mileage

14. Please mention the appropriate numbers

Highly Satisfied Satisfied Medium Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied

5 4 3 2 1


Price

Availability

Company offer

Cost per Kilometer

Diesel Mileage

Service

15. Which company Radial Tyre Now you using for your vehicle?

a) JK b) MRF

c) APOLLO d) CEAT


g) BRIDGESTONE

16. Why you chosen the present Radial Tyre?

Price

Availability

Performance

Company Name

Product Specs

Dealer Relationship

Company offer

67

17. Are you aware of performance of all Radial Tyres?

a) Yes b) No

18. In which Axle you will normally use Radial Tyre?

a) Drive axle b) Dummy Axle

c) Front Axle d) Front Support

Axle

Drive

Axle

Dummy

Axle

Front

Axle

Front

Support

Axle

JK

M.R.F

APOLLO

CEAT

BIRLA

MICHELIN

BRIDGESTONE

Performance

19. Please Rank the appropriate boxes of performance of following Tyres (1-7)


Durability

Retreads

Mileage

Smoothness

Cost per Kilometer

Diesel Mileage

20. Please Rank the appropriate boxes (1-7)


Price

Availability

Company Offer

Service

68

Demographic

21. Name : _________________________________________

22. Address : _________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

23. Age

a) 21-30 b) 31-40

c) 41-50 d) 51-60

e) 61 and above

24. Gender

a) Male b) Female

25. Education

a) High School b)Higher Secondary

c) Diploma d) Graduate

e) Post Graduate

26. Income

a) 50000-100000 b) 100001-150000

c) 150001-200000 d) above 200000

27. Marital Status

a) Married b) Unmarried

a study on comparative analysis of radial tyres in multi axle vehicles among fleet operators...

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