Company vice-president DB Asawa told mediapersons that the new tyres are suitable for mountain bikes which have a design suitable for mud and sand. The tyres are being introduced in both nylon and cotton cord. They will be launched under the brand name International.

GRL, at Rs 282-crore turnover in 1998-99, was the largest tyre-tube manufacturing company, said Asawa. The company had about 25 per cent market share in cycle tyres throughout the country, whereas its share in the Kerala market was as much as 45 per cent, he added.

The company expected a sales growth of more than 8 per cent despite recessionary conditions and it had already reached a turnover of Rs 300 crore, Asawa said.

GRL recently entered the automobile tyre sector and has been manufacturing tyres for LCVs for the last six months. Itsmanufacturing units at Bhiwadi, Alwar, is producing hi-tech auto tyres and butyl tubes, while its first unit in Ludhiana is producing 30-35 lakh bicycle tyres and tubes a month.

According to Asawa, the industry projections given by various cycle manufacturing companies suggest a 10-15 per cent growth which will ultimately result in about a 10 per cent growth of GRL in the current year.

The cycle industry in the country stands at a whopping Rs 15,000 crore with a production of approximately 1.1 crore bicycles a year. GRL supplies bicycle tyres and tubes to leading manufactures like Hero, Avon, TI Cycles etc.

GRl is also holding a 50 per cent export share of the total export of bicycle tyres and tubes. ``We export 4 lakh tyres per month,'' he said. According to him, International is an accepted brand across Europe. The company has also entered the US market with auto tyres.

More than 15,000 dealers form the distribution network of GRL which is expected to expand to 20,000 by the end of March 2000.Kerala alone has about 500 dealers. The company has 60 marketing offices with 40 other outlets. Kerala has four offices with another one coming up in Thiruvananthapuram soon.