OUR LEGACY
Dunlop: Tires that Don't Retire
200 Years of Making Your Journey Safer, One Tire At A Time.
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Ideas that Change the World
The Pneumatic Tire is born. - In 1888, John Boyd Dunlop built the first pneumatic tires with an air-cushioning system to help his son drive his tricycle better. He patented and commercialized his invention as Dunlop Pneumatic Tire Co. Ltd.
In 1890, Dunlop opened its first tire plant in Dublin and its first factory in Birmingham, UK, marking the onset of commercial production of Dunlop tires.
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Namaste India
Dunlop rolled its way to India in the form of cycle tires. It incorporated its business here as Dunlop Rubber Company (India) Limited (DIL) in Kolkata.
In 1936 DIL set up the first tire manufacturing plant in Asia on a 239-acre plot of land at Sahaganj, near Calcutta. It pioneered the manufacturing of a number of products such as automobile and aeroplane tires, cycle tires and rims, and pneumatic tires for the bullock carts.
In a few years, in 1959, DIL set up its second plant in India at Ambattur, near Chennai.
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A Global Quest
Towards the start of World War II, Dunlop was not only a prominent leader in the rubber industry, but also the most valuable brand in the world. It was the byword for global success in a range of activities – from supreme tires for on and off the racetrack, to brakes, wheels, golf and tennis balls, flooring, and other industrial rubber products. In a decade from inception, Dunlop had made the solid tire obsolete and grown into the first global multinational company.
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Wheels with Wings
Dunlop invented “Maxaret” giving the aviation industry the first anti-lock braking device that, allowed pilots to apply brakes as soon as the wheels touched down. This life-saving wheel resolved the age-old skidding problem aircrafts were prone to.
During the 1950s Dunlop’s high speed success continued bringing in- the golden age of motorsport. - Dunlop Tires stood unrivalled with sixty- six Formula One wins and eight World Championships.
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A Change of Hands
The Ruia Group led by Mr Pawan Kumar Ruia took control of DIL and Falcon Tires from the Chhabria family-controlled Jumbo group. Dunlop came out of BIFR under his leadership in 2007.
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Resume. Restart. Rebuild.
With an endeavour to rebuild Dunlop, Ruia Group restarted Dunlop's India operations. Iconic plants at Ambattur and Sahaganj opened their gates on 27 August, 2006, and 31st October respectively.
In 2008, Falcon too undertook expansion plans. With an investment of Rs 90-crores the plan scaled operations to over 7.5 lakh tires per month and Dunlop became a leading brand in the 2-3 wheeler segment in India.
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Everyday Performance
John Boyd Dunlop’s entrepreneurial spirit is the ethos of the company - even today. As one of the top tire brands, Dunlop continues to supply a growing range of tires from bikes to jet tires. Today it is highly respected for using full grader rubber in its tires - thus fortifying its determination to enhance “everyday performance” of both drivers and riders. Its strength lies in its performance and advanced technology.
Dunlop India is committed to delivering world class products manufactured with international quality standards and in accordance with the highest expectations of our customers.
