JK Tyre Celebrates Automotive Excellence at the 18th Edition of Indian Car of The Year (ICOTY) and Indian Motorcycle of The Year (IMOTY) 2023

New Delhi [India], January 13 (ANI/NewsVoir): The most coveted and prestigious awards of the Indian Automotive Industry, the 18th edition of Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) & Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY), promoted by JK Tyre since its inception along with India's top automobile journalists concluded at a gala event in New Delhi. The night showcased the greatest level of automotive performance and was attended by leading businessmen, automobile fanatics, and visionaries.

Recognized for its speed, mileage, and strong performance KIA Carens was adjudged the 'Indian Car of the Year 2023' while Royal Enfield Hunter, popular amongst motorcycle enthusiasts was awarded the 'Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2023'. Catering to the increasing popularity, acceptance and availability of a vast range from various manufacturers of the Premium Car category in the Indian Market, ICOTY Jury instituted 'Premium Car Award' under the ICOTY aegis in 2019. Mercedes EQS 580 won the Premium Car Award 2023. With the growing popularity of electric vehicles and strong initiatives undertaken by the Government, the jury of ICOTY introduced the Green Car Award in 2021 with an objective to recognize the contribution of manufacturers towards the future of mobility. KIA EV6 was awarded the Green Car Award 2023.

The awards were presented by Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, along with Dhruv Behl, Chairman, ICOTY 2023, Bertrand Dsouza, Chairman, IMOTY 2023, and other jury members.

Steered by a group of veteran & eminent jury members, the entries were judged basis multiple customer-centric criteria such as vehicle price, fuel-efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money, and suitability for Indian driving conditions, while deciding on the winner and conferring the awards.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, said, "I would like to congratulate all the winners for making the best in the segment and honoring the excellence in the automotive industry. ICOTY and IMOTY are the most integral part of the Indian Auto Industry as they bring innovation to the industry. The foundation of JK Tyre stands for innovation, development, growth, technology, and transparency and these awards are the testimony of brilliance. I am sure it has been a rewarding and successful journey for everyone and this will continue to be so for years ahead. These awards motivate us all to come together and make the Indian Auto Industry renowned globally."

The journey of ICOTY started in 2005 and the awards are today recognized as the most prestigious by the Indian Automobile Industry. The jury is comprised of domain experts from the leading automotive publications and media outlets and winners are adjudged after proper due diligence.

"It's a proud moment for all of us at the Kia family. We are absolutely elated to be awarded with not one but two prestigious ICOTY honours - Kia Carens won the coveted 'Indian Car of the Year' and our flagship EV, the EV6, won the laurel as ICOTY 'Green Car of the Year' award for 2023.We are thankful to the esteemed ICOTY jury members for this recognition. We would also like to thank the sponsors JK Tyre for their commitment to helping recognise the best from automobiles year on year. This is a well-deserved recognition for brand Kia and speaks volumes for our technological prowess, capabilities and understanding of Indian market. It is a true reflection of our successful journey in India and a great motivation for us to keep working and contributing towards an inspiring tomorrow," - Tae-Jin Park, MD & CEO, Kia India on winning the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) and Green Car Award 2023.

On winning the Indian Motorcycle of the Year Award, Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director & CEO, Eicher Motors Ltd. said, "This is our third award in five years and we are delighted to have won this. We thank the jury and JK Tyre for recognising us. Making motorcycles, spending time with riders, and most importantly riding them ourselves over the years, we really understood what it takes to make a lovely motorcycle for people who love motorcycling. The Hunter is our most accessible motorcycle in this range, and we are very happy at the love it has received."

On winning the Premium Car Award 2023, Santosh Iyer, MD, Mercedes-Benz India said, "The Made in India EQS 580 is a benchmark for sustainable luxury motoring. The very fact that it's India's first locally manufactured luxury EV also highlights the global competencies of our colleagues producing this car at Mercedes-Benz India. We are delighted that our customers preferred choice for the most advanced luxury EV in India, is also adjudged as the Luxury Car of the year at ICOTY."

Congratulating the ICOTY award winners, Dhruv Behl, Chairman, ICOTY 2023, said, "ICOTY has grown to become the most coveted award in India, as the leading experts in the automotive media all come together to pick the absolute best in the industry. We assess which vehicles have the most impact and which are the most suitable for the Indian market. The KiaCarens, Kia EV6 and Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 are each cutting edge and truly put the Indian customer in the driver's seat."

Bertrand Dsouza, Chairman, IMOTY 2023, said, "In 2023 Indian motorcycles was oddly contested, it was a very tough competition. What is interesting to see is that most of the contenders were not entirely meant for the commuter segment and this proves that motorcycling in India has matured - niche segment, niche purposes for a very niche enthusiastic audiences, that's what has defined IMOTY 2023."

Annexure 1

Selection Parameters

IMOTY: All motorcycles that qualify for these awards are new models. Existing motorcycles that have had cosmetic facelifts or small mechanical changes, like different power or drive-trains, do not qualify for this award. The country of origin does not matter, but they have to be manufactured or assembled in India and be on sale in showrooms before November 30th of the previous year. The motorcycles should have been homologated for Indian type approval, but those imported through the CBU route are not considered.

ICOTY: All cars that qualify for these awards are new models. Existing cars that have had cosmetic facelifts or small mechanical changes, like different power or drive-trains, do not qualify for this award. The country of origin does not matter, but they have to be manufactured or assembled in India and be on sale in showrooms before November 30th of the previous year. The cars should have been homologated for Indian type approval, but those imported through the CBU route are not considered.

Voting Process

IMOTY: Selection of the Winner is by a simple voting system, where each member of the jury has a maximum of 25 points. Every Jury member can allot a maximum of 10 points to one motorcycle. And every Jury member must give points to at least 5 of the contending motorcycles. A very fair and transparent system makes the IMOTY the most credible auto award.

ICOTY: Selection of the Winner is by a simple voting system, where each member of the jury has a maximum of 25 points. Every Jury member can allot a maximum of 10 points to one car. And every Jury member must give points to at least 5 of the contending cars. A very fair and transparent system makes the ICOTY the most credible auto award.

The jury members of ICOTY were Dhruv Behl (Chairman), Ishan Raghava (Secretary), Dhruv Saxena, Senior Correspondent, Auto Today, Abhik Das, Assistant Editor, Auto Today, Aspi Bhathena, Editor, BIKE India and CAR India, Jim G.Deputy Editor, CAR India, Sirish Chandran, Editorial Director, Evo India, Fast Bikes India & Motor Sport India, Aatish Mishra, Assistant Editor, Evo India, Pablo Chaterji, Executive Editor, Motoring World, Kartik Ware,Managing Editor, Motoring World, Bertrand D'souza, Editor, Overdrive, Bob Rupani, Overdrive, Muralidhar Swaminathan, Consulting Motoring Editor, The Hindu Business Line, Editor and Abhay Verma, Publisher, Turbocharged, Ameya Dandekar Associate Editor, CarDekho, Girish Karkera, Editor, Times Auto, Kranti Sambhav, Editor and Lead, Times Drive and Kushan Mitra, Automotive Journalist.

The Jury members of IMOTY were Bertrand D'souza, Editor, Overdrive, Rahul Ghosh, Associate Editor, Auto Today, Dipayan Dutta, Senior Special Correspondent, Auto Today, Shivank Bhatt, Road Test Editor, autoX, Aspi Bhathena, Editor, BIKE India and CAR India, Sirish Chandran, Editorial Director, Evo India, Fast Bikes India & Motor Sport India, Aatish Mishra, Assistant Editor, Evo India, Kartik Ware,Managing Editor, Motoring World, Janak Sorap, Features Writer, Motoring World, Rohit Paradkar,Assistant Editor, Overdrive, Kranti Sambhav, Editor and Lead, Times Drive, Abhay Verma, Editor and Publisher, Turbocharged, Pratheek Kunder, BikeWale, Assistant Editor, Dhruv Paliwal, Senior Correspondent, Auto X and Joshua Varghese, Senior Correspondent, Bike India.

The flagship company of JK Organisation, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. is amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world. Pioneers of radial technology, the Company produced the first radial tyre in 1977 and is currently the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. The Company provides end-to-end solutions across segments of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, farming, Off-the-Road and two & three-wheelers.

A global force, JK Tyre is present in 105 countries with over 180 Global distributors. The Company has 12 globally benchmarked 'sustainable' manufacturing facilities - 9 in India and 3 in Mexico - that collectively produce around 32 million tyres annually. The Company also has a strong network of over 6000 dealers and 650+ dedicated Brand shops called as Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels.

JK Tyre's unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art global research and technology centre - the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysore, which houses some of the world's finest technologies and techniques.

JK Tyre launched India's first ever 'Smart Tyre' technology-and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) which monitors the tyre's vital statistics, including pressure and temperature. In 2020, the company rolled out its 20 millionth Truck/Bus Radial tyre becoming the first and the only Indian company to achieve this milestone.

JK Tyre is the only Indian tyre manufacturer to be included in the list of Superbrands India in 2021 for the eighth consecutive year. Additionally, JK Tyre was featured among India's Best Companies to Work For in 2019 by Great Place to Work®. Another remarkable addition to the list of the brand's accolades is being a 3-time recipient of the Economic Times - Iconic Brand of the Year Award. JK Tyre has been conferred the Sword of Honour for Safety across its plants by the British Safety Council, UK. The company entered the Limca Book of Records with the country's largest off-the-road tyre - VEM 04.

JK Tyre is also synonymous with motorsport in the country. For over three decades, the Company has relentlessly worked towards shaping India's positioning as the motorsport hub of Asia, developing the right infrastructure for the sport and promoting young talent in the arena.

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