With value-for-money Firestone, we aim to capture 20% tyre replacement market: Vaibhav Saraf

The tyre market is already very competitive in India. What made Bridgestone introduce Firestone?

Firestone as a brand has been known for its quality and dependability for over 100 years, which is reflected in the brand's tagline 'Always Dependable'. It is this heritage and legacy combined with years of experience that we want to bring to the Indian market. Also, since Firestone is an American brand, it personifies in the mind of customers a product which comes with the quality, impeccable reliability and innovation that comes with the product from that part of the world.

How would you differentiate Bridgestone with Firestone brand? Would not the two products create confusion in the customers' mind?

Over the years, India has emerged as a global economic powerhouse and also one of the fastest growing automotive markets in the world. Customers these days are very demanding and look for a range of products before deciding for one. Hence, keeping in mind the product differentiation we will be creating awareness using different mediums of promotion. So, if someone needs a value for money product then we can pitch Firestone for him/her. On the other hand, if the customer is looking for performance, then Bridgestone is the product for him/her. In short, Bridgestone will be about 10-15% at a premium as compared to Firestone.

Which categories of products from Firestone will you be launching in the Indian market?

We will be initially focusing on the passenger car and SUV segments and subsequently expand the size range. At present, we are going ahead with two products- FR500 and LE02. As per the specifications FR500, which start from the price of Rs 2,200, offers attractive tread design and has been built to perform well in both wet and dry conditions, making it an ideal tyre for Indian road conditions. The tyres are available in 24 sizes that will range from 12 rim diameters to 16 rim diameters which would make it suitable for a wide selection of passengers cars and the diverse, demanding driving conditions in India. LE02, on the other hand, would aim at the SUV segment and offers good life and durability combined with a quiet and comfortable riding experience. This tyre will be introduced with 3 sizes with 15 and 16 rim diameters, making it suitable for a number of models in the SUV segment in India. The tyres are already available across our dealer network.

Where will these Firestone products be manufactured and what kind of market share you are looking at?

It will be manufactured at Bridgestone's manufacturing plants at Chakan in Pune and Kheda in Indore. Presently, we have not got into any kind of tie-up with the auto manufacturers for Firestone tyre. We are looking to target the replacement market. At present, it is too early to comment on the market share or any by number but we aim to capture around 20% share of the replacement market over the next five years.