MAM
Apollo Tyres sharpens focus on the SUV segment in India
MUMBAI: Apollo tyres have further consolidated their range in the SUV tyre segment with the launch of Apterra AT2, a tyre designed specially for the off-road enthusiasts.
Designed and developed as a collaborative effort between the two Global R&D Centres — in Enschede, the Netherlands and in Chennai, India — and a cross-functional team comprising members from R&D, Manufacturing, Service, Business Quality and Marketing, Apterra AT2 has been thoroughly tested in the toughest conditions across various countries
Commenting on the launch, Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd said,“We are sharpening our focus on the SUV-segment in India, with specialised tyres for different terrains, as this vehicle segment is growing faster than passenger cars. The excellent test results, and the global efforts that have gone into developing the Apollo Apterra AT2, gives us the confidence that this tyre will set a new benchmark in the all-terrain tyre space, and will further propel our leadership in the SUV segment.”
The launch is supported by a high powered 360 media campaign. The first commercial for Apterra range developed by Wunderman Thompson along with the host of content for digital medium.
Commenting on the launch, Joy Chauhan, Managing Partner Wunderman Thompson, Delhi, said, “Apollo Apterra’s latest campaign “Bad Road Go To Good Places” will not only resonate with every off-roading and adventure enthusiast but will also connect with travellers at large as it captures an extremely important life truth as well . The campaign platform gives us an opportunity to develop rich content and engagement with our target users. We have already launched a community for off-roading enthusiasts “Bad Road Buddies” to further build on the culture of off-roading in India as well as all the markets where Apollo Apterra is present.”
“Bad roads lead to good places” is not just a philosophy but a way of life for an adventure seeker. Through this communication we wanted to change the stereotype of a “good place” in the consumers mind. We all know how a regular road leads to a regular mundane place, but when you push yourself and take-up a bad road, you reach an untouched, unexplored mythical place. It’s like hunting for a mystical, reaching a place which no one has ever seen. The campaign aims to pump-up all the existing and future SUV riders with a hope of opening up a new world of possibilities adds Sundeep Sehgal ECD Wunderman Thompson.
Apollo’s existing Apterra range including specialised Highway Luxury (HL), Highway Terrain (HT), High Performance (HP) and the All -Terrain (AT) tyres across various sizes catering to majority of SUV models.
Brands
Zscaler, Airtel launch India AI Cyber Research Centre
New hub to boost cyber resilience and trusted AI use
NEW DELHI: As India’s digital engine roars ahead, so do the risks riding shotgun. In response, Zscaler, Inc. and Bharti Airtel have joined hands to launch the AI and Cyber Threat Research Center – India, a national initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber defences and accelerating responsible AI adoption.
The centre is designed as a multi stakeholder platform that brings together industry, government and academia. Its mission is clear: protect critical sectors such as telecom, banking and energy, shield everyday digital users, and future proof India’s fast expanding online ecosystem.
India has long been a major innovation hub for Zscaler, with a substantial portion of its cyber research talent based here. With this new centre, that footprint evolves into a national collaboration engine. The idea is simple but ambitious, build in India, for India, and help power the country’s journey towards a secure and digitally self reliant future.
The timing is telling. India is building digital systems at population scale, not just enterprise scale. That scale has widened the attack surface dramatically. At the same time, cyber criminals and nation state actors are deploying AI to scan, probe and exploit vulnerabilities in minutes.
Zscaler’s research arm, ThreatLabz India, reports millions of infiltration attempts every month. These include espionage campaigns linked to regional geopolitical tensions, 1.2 million intrusion attempts from 20,000 sources targeting 58 Indian digital entities, and a rise in zero day exploit attempts across multiple industries.
In such an environment, perimeter based security models are struggling to keep pace. The new centre aims to push a shift towards secure by design systems and Zero Trust architecture.
Its strategy rests on four pillars: protect through real time intelligence, remediate by working directly with government agencies, facilitate adoption of AI driven security and Zero Trust frameworks, and build a stronger cybersecurity talent pipeline through specialised certifications.
As founding members, Zscaler and Airtel will combine global threat intelligence with local network visibility. Zscaler will deploy a dedicated India focused research team and draw insights from its Zero Trust Exchange platform, which processes over 500 billion daily transactions worldwide. Airtel, meanwhile, will contribute deep visibility into IoT and mobile traffic, helping detect suspicious activity faster and coordinate response across the ecosystem.
Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal, said the partnership extends Airtel’s commitment to safeguarding customers and the nation’s digital fabric. He added that the collaboration would address challenges unique to the Indian market and encourage secure and confident digital engagement.
Zscaler chief executive, chairman and founder Jay Chaudhry, said India’s digital ambition cannot be secured with legacy firewalls and VPNs. He noted that a modern Zero Trust architecture is essential for a hyper connected world and that the new centre would harness the scale of Zscaler’s global security cloud while empowering a new generation of Indian cyber defenders.
Additional members from critical public and private sectors are expected to join the initiative in the coming months, expanding its scope and deepening collaboration.
In a world where threats travel at machine speed, India’s answer is to think faster, collaborate wider and build smarter.
