
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Founded: 1946
Founder: K. M. Mammen Mappillai
Key People:
K.M.Mammen (Chairman and Managing Director)
Rahul Mammen Mappillai (MD)
Employees: 19,209
More About The Manufacturer:[]
Madras Rubber Factory was started by K. M. Mammen Mappillai as a toy balloon manufacturing unit in 1946 at Tiruvottiyur, Madras (now Chennai). In 1952, the company ventured into the manufacture of tread rubber. Madras Rubber Factory limited was incorporated as a private company in November 1960 and ventured into manufacture of tires in partnership with Mansfield Tire & Rubber company based in Ohio, United States. The company went public on April 1st, 1961 and an office was established in Beirut, Lebanon to develop the export market in 1964 and its current logo of the muscleman was born. In 1967, it became the first Indian company to export tire to USA.
In 1973, MRF started manufacturing Nylon tyres for the first time. The Company entered into with a technical know-how collaboration with B.FGoodrich in 1978. The Mansfield Tire & Rubber Co sold out its share in 1979 and the name of the company was changed to MRF Ltd in the year. The company finalized a technical collaboration agreement with Marangoni TRS SPA, Italy for the manufacture of pre-cured tread rubber for retreading industry. MRF tires supplied tires to Maruti 800, India's first modern small car. In 1989, the company collaborated with Hasbro International United States, the world's largest toy maker and launched Funskool India. Also, they entered into a pact with Vapocure of Australia to manufacture polyurethane paint formulations and with Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli for conveyor and elevator belt manufacture. During the year 2004-05, the product range of the company expanded with Go-kart & rally tyres and tyres for two/three wheelers.
MRF built its first Formula 3 car in 1997. MRF in collaboration with Maruti established the Formula Maruti racing, a single-seater, open wheel class motorsport racing event for race cars made in India. MRF Challenge is a Formula 2000 open-wheel motorsport formula based series organised by Madras Motor Sports Club in association with MRF. The latest season consisted of races organised at Madras Motor Racing Track, Chennai, Bahrain International Circuit, Losail International Circuit, Doha and Buddh International Circuit, Noida. Freddie Hunt, son of 1976 Formula One champion James Hunt and Mathias Lauda, son of 1975, 1977 and 1984 Formula One champion Niki Lauda both competed in the series. MRF has sponsored Indian racing drivers including Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandok, Ashwin Sundar, N. Leelakrishnan and Raj Bharath.
MRF have also been a long-running sponsor of an MRF rally team participating in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and Indian National Rally Championship. Associating with Czech car manufacturer Škoda, MRF Skoda is the three time reigning champion in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with Chris Atkinson winning in 2012, Gaurav Gill in 2013, Jan Kopecký in 2014, Pontus Tidemand in 2015 and Gaurav Gill again in 2016 and 2017. MRF also participates in Raid De Himalaya, the world's highest rally.
MRF entered the European Rally Championship in 2020, with WRC Hyundai driver Craig Breen and Emil Lindholm driving for the team.
MRF remained in ERC for 2021 and also joined several other rally championships. Craig Breen, along with Italian Simone Campedelli are set to participate in European Rally Championship. Campedelli, along with eleven-time Italian rally champion Paolo Andreucci and the 2017 ERC Ladies champion Tamara Molinaro will use the tyres while competing in the Italy Gravel rally championship. Emil Lindholm left ERC and instead will focus entirely on testing the tyres on the gravel roads of Finland. After the 2021 Rally di Roma Capitale, Breen was replaced by other Hyundai drivers, Jari Huttunen and Dani Sordo, as well as Nil Solans later on.
MRF entered Norbert Herczig, Simone Campedelli and the 2021 runner-up Efren Llarena for the 2022 campaign, with Llarena taking his first win during 2022 Rallye Azores.