On July 25, 2018, Roy Littlefield, the Executive Vice President of the Tire Industry Association (TIA) officially announced the names of the honorees for the 2018 Hall of Fame Award, TIA’s highest honor and one of the most prestigious accolades of the tire industry at a global level. Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT), one of the leading off-highway tire manufacturers headquartered in India, will be officially inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame on the occasion of the Tire Industry Honors Awards Ceremony. The event will take place at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel on October 29, one day before the opening of the 2018 SEMA Show, the leading automotive specialty and aftermarket fair, held at Las Vegas. 
TIA was founded in 1920 in the United States. Having started as a national organization, TIA is today an international non-profit organization operating at a global scale and representing all segments of the tire industry. The association is committed to enhancing the image of the tire industry promoting safety, training and education as well as conventions, advocacy, certifications and publications for the tire industry.
The TIA Hall of Fame dates back to the year 1985, in which the first celebrities of the tire industry were inducted. The TIA Hall of Fame aims at honoring and preserving the names of outstanding personalities, whose likewise outstanding accomplishments have brought fame to the tire, rubber, and transportation industries. The award is TIA’s highest honor that is conferred yearly to players in the tire industry – whether they are manufacturers, inventors, suppliers, dealers or retreaders.
“I cannot but consider the announcement of this prestigious – I dare to say the most prestigious – award in the tire industry as a great honor that fills me with pride from both a personal and professional point of view,” states Poddar. “Without any doubt, this is a great moment and a great achievement for my personal development and my professional carrier. It is also a confirmation of the passionate spirit and commitment that drives all our projects and all people in our company aiming at being an example for future generations.”
Entering the TIA Hall of Fame not only means a personal accolade for BKT’s CEO. This award is fully in line with the multinational group’s commitment, growth and evolution in the course of the years, which has turned the company into a benchmark for the global off-highway tire market thanks to extraordinary achievements in terms of innovation and sustainability, offering one of the most extensive product portfolios in the segment.
