The Hindu : Business : MRF to manufacture aviation tyres

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MRF to manufacture aviation tyres

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: BIJOY GHOSH

RIDING HIGH: (from left) Rahul Mammen, Vice-President (Corporate Planning and Development), K. M. Mammen, Chairman, and Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF, unveil aviation tyre in Chennai on Thursday.

CHENNAI: Tyre major MRF has announced its foray into the aviation tyre space with the unveiling of Aero Muscle, a product born out of in-house research and perfected over the last three years.

Commercial production of aviation tyres will start in a new line at its Medak facility in Andhra Pradesh.

MRF is expected to invest around Rs. 125 crore in the aviation tyre facility.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, K. M. Mammen, Chairman, said aviation tyre “is a critical product.” Achieving self-sufficiency in such an import-substitute product “is always good for the country,” he added. Terming this as a ``great move forward,” he showered praise on the company’s technical team for coming out with an indigenous aviation tyre.

The Centre for Military Airworthiness Certification and the Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness had approved the commercial production of ‘Aero Muscle’ tyres for onward supply to Hindustan Aeronautics for its Chetak helicopters. Mr. Mammen said it would be a low volume production, and hinged on how the demand developed. The Chairman said that MRF had approached the Government to part-finance the project cost as aviation tyres formed a critical product requirement of the Indian Defence services. He also did not rule out the possibility of the company looking at private sector for hawking its newly-developed aviation tyre.

The tyres were subjected to ground and flight trials. Upon completion of these, MRF had been given provisional certificate for the commercial production of the approved prototype aviation tyre. Koshy Varghese, Executive Vice-President (Marketing), said it was a long drawn out approval process for MRF. He said MRF would supply aviation tyres at a competitive price.

Asked to elaborate further, he said at present aviation tyres were imported at British pound sterling 240 (about Rs. 19,300) a piece on an average.

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