JK Tyres was incorporated in 1951 as a private company called JK Industries in West Bengal, India. In the 1970s, it obtained a license to manufacture automobile tires and tubes and entered a technical collaboration with US-based General Tire. Over the decades, JK Tyres introduced many new tire patterns, expanded its production capabilities, established subsidiaries abroad, and grew to become one of the largest tire manufacturers in India. In 2007, the company changed its name to JK Tyre & Industries Ltd to reflect its core business of manufacturing tires.

1. YEAR history of jk tyres EVENTS<br /> <br /> 1951 - The company was incorporated as a private limited company in <br /> West Bengal in 14th February, 1951. Until 31st March 1970,<br /> the<br /> company was engaged in the managing agency business. <br /> Thereafter,<br /> the company decided to undertake manufacturing activities and<br /> obtained a letter of intent in February 1972 for the<br /> manufacture<br /> of automobile tyres and tubes.<br /> <br /> - The letter of intent was converted into an industrial licence<br /> in<br /> February 1974 for the manufacture of 4 lakh nos. each<br /> automobile<br /> tyre and tubes per annum. The company was converted into a<br /> public limited company on 1st April 1974. The manufacturing<br /> project was promoted by Straw Products Ltd and J.K. Synthetics<br /> <br /> Ltd.<br /> <br /> - The company entered into technical collaboration with General<br /> Tire International Co., U.S.A., (a subsidiary of General Tire<br /> &<br /> Rubber Co., U.S.A.) for technical services for a period of 5<br /> years and sales agreement for the supply of technical<br /> know-how,<br /> engineering and documentation for operational facilities (for<br /> a<br /> period of 8 years from 23.8.73).<br /> <br /> - Under the collaboration agreement, the Company has the right<br /> to<br /> use on its products the wording Made in collaboration with<br /> General Tire International Co., USA.<br /> <br /> 1982 - The company's technical collaboration agreement with General<br /> Tire<br /> International Co., was renewed for a further period of 5<br /> years.<br /> <br /> 1987 - The overall working resulted in substantial profits despite a<br /> 51-days strike as well as go-slow from 14th October. The<br /> strike<br /> had since then been resolved and amicable settlement was<br /> reached.<br /> Efforts were on to launch a new pattern in steel belted<br /> radial<br /> tyres.<br /> <br /> 1988 - New steel radial tyres for Maruti Gypsy and Tata mobile were<br /> introduced. The Company proposed to incur an expenditure of<br /> Rs<br /> 300 lakhs for installationof latest and sophisticated R&D<br /> equipment.<br /> <br /> 1989 - Several new patterns and sizes of tyres were introduced<br /> including<br /> a semi-lug Nylon Truck tyre, all of which were well received<br /> in<br /> the market.<br /> <br /> 1991 - Handeep Investment, Ltd., Hidrive Finance Ltd., Panchanan <br /> Investment Ltd., and Radial Finance Ltd., J. K. International<br /> Ltd., Shivdham Properties Ltd., and J.K. Asia Pacific, Ltd.,<br /> are<br /> subsidiaries of the Company.<br /> <br /> 1992 - The J.K. International division expanded its activities by<br /> opening its office in Moscow besides starting Company's<br /> subsidiaries in U.K. & Honkong. The radial tyres for<br /> tractors<br /> and business launched in the previous year were well<br /> received.<br /> <br /> 1993 - New radial tyres `Brute' and `Ultima' were introduced. The<br /> Company was in the process of developing steel belted radial<br /> tyres for the prestigious cars in the Mercedes Benz, Peugeot,<br /> Daewoo race and Opel Astra. A new pattern developed for bus<br /> and<br /> trucks `PE-T8' was well received in the market.<br /> <br /> 1994 - The company maintained its pace of growth, despite steep rise<br /> in<br /> raw material and input costs and competition. The Company<br /> effected an all round cost reduction and attained higher<br /> capacity utilisation at both the tyre plants at Jaykaygram<br /> and<br /> Banmore.<br /> <br /> - The T-rated Ultima tyres launched for new generation cars<br /> found<br /> its acceptance in DCM Daewoo's `Ceilo'. Also J.K. Steel<br /> radial<br /> was chosen for Mercedes Benz India.<br /> <br /> - The Company undertook to develop steel radials for GM's<br /> `Astra'.<br /> PAL's `Peugekot' FIAT's, `UNO' and M & M's `Ford'.<br /> <br /> - The Company launched a premium truck tyre `Jet Trak' - 39<br /> which<br /> was introduced to meet the need sof the heavy load market. <br /> The<br /> new tractor rear tyre `SONA' was well received in the market.<br /> <br /> 1996 - During this period, a new Car tyre Jet Drive XS, the widest<br /> nylon car tyre for Maruti 800 was launched. Along with new<br /> semi-lug and heavy duty lug tyre for trucks, a new lug tyre<br /> for<br /> super heavy load applications Jet Trak 39 was also<br /> introduced.<br /> In the Radial category, Ultima XR Radial, a terrain tyre was<br /> introduced. All these products were well received in the<br /> market.<br /> <br /> - Both the tyre plants operated to full capacity. In line with<br /> JK<br /> tyre, the radials unit introduced, the dual contact high<br /> traction<br /> and high performance Aquasonic steel radial car tyre. The<br /> unit<br /> also developed India's first and only H-rated ultima Xs'<br /> specially for Mercides - Benz Cars.<br /> <br /> 2000 - The Company proposes to reduce its debt by Rs 125 crore in<br /> the<br /> current fiscal from the current level of Rs 635 crore by way<br /> of<br /> loan repayment.<br /> <br /> - The Company and Indian Oil Corporation have entered into a<br /> marketing alliance for installing digital air pressure guages<br /> and<br /> setting up sales and services outlets at IOC petrol stations<br /> throughtout the country.<br /> <br /> 2001 - Raghupati Singhania managing director of J K Industries has<br /> been appointed the 19th<br /> Chairman of Automative Tyre Manufacturers Association,<br /> the representative body of <br /> tyre industry in India.<br /> <br /> 2002- J.K.Industries Ltd has informed BSE that CRISIL has assigned a<br /> P1+ rating to the Commercial Paper programme of the<br /> company.<br /> <br /> 2003<br /> <br /> - J.K. Industries Ltd (JKI) has a new Marketing Director in Mr Ajay<br /> Kapila. Before joining JKI, Mr Kapila was Senior Vice-President<br /> (Sales and Marketing) at Kinetic Engineering Ltd. He was also<br /> Director on board and operational head of Kinetic's direct selling<br /> arm - Kinetic Marketing Services Ltd.<br /> <br /> -Completes its comprehensive restructuring exercise of businesses<br /> that leads to its emergence as a pure automotive tyre company. Along<br /> with the de-merger of its non-tyre business, Sugar and Agri Seeds,<br /> into separate companies namely JK Sugar Ltd and JK Agri-Genetics Ltd,<br /> JKI also completes the merger of Vikrant Tyres Ltd with itself<br /> <br /> -J.K.Industries delists from Jaipur Stock Exchange<br /> <br /> -divested its wholly-owned subsidiay called J.K. Drugs and<br /> Pharmaceuticals Ltd to TEVA Pharmaceuticals of Israel.<br /> <br /> 2004<br /> <br /> -JK Industries Ltd has informed that its securities are delisted from<br /> Delhi Stock Exchange Association Ltd (DSE) w.e.f. January 29, 2004.<br /> <br /> 2007<br /> <br /> - JK Industries Ltd has informed that the name of the Company has<br /> been changed from J K Industries Ltd to JK Tyre & Industries Ltd<br /> w.e.f. April 02, 2007.<br /> <br /> - Company name has been changed from JK Industries Ltd to JK Tyre &<br /> Industries Ltd.<br /> <br /> 2008<br /> <br /> -The company has issued rights in the ratio of 1:3 at a premium of<br /> Rs.75 Per Share.<br />