Pune: Automotive start-up TJ Tyres will soon start operating a mass-manufacturing facility at Faridabad for its NASA-awarded burst preventive and puncture curative (BPCC) technology tyres. The Bhumi Pujan for the new manufacturing facility was done at the hands of IITian turned Sanyasi Swami Vigyananda.
TJ Tyres has secured investment from CIIE (IIM Ahmedabad) and also has got backing from the NITI Aayog. With its BPCC technology, TJ Tyres has now entered into the two-wheeler segment. These innovative tyres will have 15 per cent extra Life than the normal tubeless tyres and three times more air retention capacity than normal tubeless tyres.
TJ Tyres mass manufacturing facility at Faridabad
With this facility at Faridabad in Delhi, TJ Tyres will achieve within a year a production capacity of 50,000 tyres per month. The founding team said, “Discussions with OEMs and electric vehicle manufacturers are in full swing and the interest level is quite high to partner with us to adapt to this technology to give a safer ride to its customers.”
Member of Parliament Sujeet Kumar, Joint Secretary Dr S.K. Patjoshi, Industrialist Arun Bajaj, leaders from Faridabad Vinod Chaudhary and Dr R N Singh were present during the bhoomi-poojan function held recently.
TJ Tyres facility at Faridabad
Pune Connection of TJ Tyres
TJ Tyres started their research and development (R&D) in Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) of Odisha. This R&D continued in Pune as technology experts in Pune helped it to bring the technology to ‘Proof of Concept’ level.
TJ Tyres then received investment from friends, alumni, CIIE IIMA and many more. With the support from PSUs GAIL & HPCL; TJ Tyres could get the product market fit and tested the market in select places in South India.
TJ TYres CEO Sameer Panda (Left)
NASA Award and NITI Aayog backing
In 2015, BPPC Tyre technology of TJ Tyres won the NASA Tech Brief award and was featured in NASA’s official publication. Subsequently TJ Tyres received Gold Medal in IIGP (DST-Lockheed Martin) in 2016 and Gold Medal in International Innovators Fair 2017.
Atal New India Challenge (ANIC) under NITI Aayog had floated 24 different challenges aimed towards supporting innovators creating products based on advanced technologies in areas of national importance and social relevance through a grant-based mechanism and chose 26 startups including TJ Tyres among 1000s for immediate support from ANIC.
TJ Tyres mass manufacturing facility at Faridabad
Founders Say
TJ Tyres CEO and Co-founder Sameer Panda said, “After receiving awards from NASA, we were confused whose problem to solve first. Then we saw that it’s a very painful experience when a motorcycle or scooter gets punctured or burst. So, we decided to start with two wheeler tyres. We as a team want to create an example that technology disruption is possible even in automotive and manufacturing space and we can give safety to people.”
Co-founder Tushar Sahu said, “After Corona many buyers in India are becoming ‘Vocal for Local’. We are solving a big headache of the two wheeler owners. So there is a lot of opportunity and will contribute towards the PM Narendra Modi’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative to make India a self-reliant nation.”
Co-founder Smitiparna Satpathy said, “Bike rental and bike sharing startups joined hands with TJ Tyres to give safe, no-headache riding experience to its customers. Now, with the support from NITI Aayog we can solve the mass manufacturing bottleneck and increase the number of sizes of tyres and cater the market demand in a better way.”
COO Premananda Nanda said, “Last week we were selected by The Hague Business Agency, Netherlands in their Digital Soft Landing Program. That’ll give us access to European Market and I believe that we can do High Technology Futuristic joint R&D and be able to Make in India and do sales in Europe.”