Apollo Tyres and the Global Tire Industry in 2016

The case describes the development of the Indian tire company Apollo Tyres, and its quest to become a global Top-10 tire company. While it is well-established in India and has a foothold in Europe, it struggles to develop in the US and China. The case describes the accomplishments and challenges of the company as it extends its global footprint. Information about global industry dynamics, the segmentation of the tire market, the economics of the industry and the competitive position of the key competitors is provided in the case “Michelin in China in 2016”. The Apollo case may be used in conjunction with cases on Bridgestone, Hankook and Continental that describe their respective business models and strategies

The Apollo case enables discussion of the strategy and performance of one of the newcomers in this competitive industry. Neither a low-cost player (compared to the Korean and Chinese players) nor differentiated from established players (Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Pirelli), Apollo struggles to find an appropriate strategy in the global arena, away from its home market where it enjoys some protection but is under pressure from imported tires from China. The case provides the setting for a discussion of the strategy options of players from emerging economies as they seek to compete in global markets. More generally, the case series allows an in-depth analysis of the globalization of markets and competition, supply chain and ecosystem dynamics in a global setting, the strategy models of new competitiors and strategic challenges for global leaders seeking to maintain and extend their performance.