This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Tyres 25 Report 2026.
Apollo Tyres has had a standout year, recording the largest increase in Brand Strength Index (BSI) score among the world’s top 25 tyre brands.
From a trusted Indian household name to a globally recognised brand, Apollo Tyres has spent the past decade building equity on two fronts: the quality of its products and the power of its partnerships. In a recent interview with Brand Finance, Udyan Ghai, Group Head of Marketing at Apollo Tyres, explains how strategic sponsorships - from Team India cricket to Manchester United - combine with relentless R&D and a customer-first mindset to drive the brand's next phase of growth.
Apollo Tyres has achieved a significant increase in brand strength in a relatively short period. What do you believe have been the key drivers behind this success?
Apollo Tyres has been a recognised name in India for over 50 years. Tod ay, we employ more than 19,000 people globally and work with around 7,000 dealers in India alone. The improvement in brand strength reflects years of investment in product innovation, customer engagement, distribution networks and strategic marketing initiatives.
There have been several important developments over the past year. In September 2025, the Apollo Tyres brand became the lead sponsor of the Team India cricket team. This deal will last for three years and grants Apollo Tyres the Title Sponsor Rights for all home international matches (both men’s and women’s teams) and domestic cricket tournaments organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Apollo Tyres logo will be featured prominently on the front and leading arm of the official Team India jersey, giving us huge brand reach both in India and globally.
A key example of how we are building brand equity beyond sponsorship visibility is our ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ campaign. At the heart of the campaign is a deeply emotional brand film that celebrates Indian cricket’s enduring spirit and its commonality with the ethos at Apollo Tyres. The film was launched around the time of the Men's Cricket World Cup in February 2026 and set a new benchmark for Apollo Tyres’ audience engagement.
The film features cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, alongside Team India cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh.
Directed by Abhinay Deo, the film traces the actual journeys of these four cricketers since their childhood, and their families who have gone to extraordinary lengths to turn their dreams into reality.
Simran Kanwar, who wrote the script and screenplay along with conceptualising the Ad film, said, “Har Safar Mein Dum Hai is not just about beginning a journey, it is about the relentless pursuit of excellence. It may be the only ad film to bring together some of the world’s finest sportsmen from a single sport into one film, set to Maa Tujhe Salaam, our cricket anthem. Together, these elements make the film truly iconic, capturing the spirit, pride and standards that define greatness at a global level.”
The campaign is a strong articulation of our brand philosophy, reinforcing our positioning around performance, endurance and reliability across our product portfolio. Drawing parallels with Indian cricket’s journey from India across the world, the film reflects the company’s evolution as a global brand, while strengthening our emotional connection with consumers.
Outside India, Apollo Tyres continues to build strong brand recognition through its long-standing partnership with Manchester United. The international appeal and reach of the Premier League, which attracted an estimated 1.87 billion followers worldwide during the 2024 season, provides a powerful platform for increasing awareness of the Apollo Tyres brand among consumers across international markets.
Sponsorships have clearly played an important role in brand building, but Apollo Tyres is much more than its marketing partnerships. How do you ensure the company maintains a strong and diverse product portfolio that serves different markets and customer segments?
Ultimately, the strength of our brand is built on the quality and performance of our products. The tyres that we develop reflect the Apollo Tyres brand tagline of ‘go the distance’. We strive to offer customers a wide choice of products tailored to different vehicles, driving conditions and performance requirements. We offer tyres across many sectors, including commercial, passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, farm and industrial.
Thanks to the efforts of our Global R&D Centres in Chennai, India and Enschede, the Netherlands, our tyres are always improving, showcasing innovations in materials and design.
Our research and development teams work continuously on new generations of products across all vehicle segments. We also invest heavily in iterative tyre development. In the passenger car segment, we have tyres that cater for every season, including summer, winter and all-season tyres, enabling us to meet the requirements of drivers across a wide range of climates and regulatory environments.
As for the heavy-duty industrial, bus and truck and off-highway segments, we always listen to our customers to determine how best we can improve our offerings in rapidly changing markets.
A customer-led approach is fundamental for driving growth across the commercial vehicle segment. In the fourth quarter of the previous financial year, our truck and bus tyre sales grew by 20% in India.
Looking ahead, what are the next priorities for Apollo Tyres, and where do you see the brand's biggest opportunities for growth?
With new products on the horizon, we are always thinking of new initiatives to increase positive awareness and further strengthen the brand's profile.
For example, in May, we launched the Apollo Rural Mobile Store, which makes our tyres even more accessible for those who live in remote locations of India. The mobile store provides on-the-spot guidance on tyre selection, usage and maintenance, helping local customers make informed decisions suited to their needs.
Looking ahead, we will continue investing in product innovation, manufacturing capabilities, customer engagement and strategic brand-building initiatives. Whether through new products, enhanced services or improved accessibility, our focus remains on delivering value to customers while further strengthening the Apollo Tyres brand in markets around the world.
