Key facts
- Premier Tyres Limited was incorporated in 1959, and its Kalamassery tyre plant began commercial production in September 1962, according to PTL Enterprises.
- Apollo Tyres acquired Premier Tyres in 1995, making Kalamassery its third plant after Perambra in Thrissur district (1977).
- Under the 1995 scheme approved by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction, Apollo subscribed ₹10 crore of new equity at par and took the plant on an eight-year irrevocable lease for total rentals of ₹45.50 crore.
- Premier Tyres was renamed PTL Enterprises Limited with effect from 20 May 2005.
- PTL Enterprises says the Kalamassery plant is leased to Apollo Tyres on a long-term basis and that all production there is carried out by Apollo.
A tyre plant on the Aluva road
Premier Tyres Limited was incorporated in 1959, and its factory at Kalamassery started commercial production in September 1962, according to the company that still owns it. The site, on the main road between Ernakulam and Aluva – then the national highway, now NH 544 – gave it a frontage on the region’s busiest road.
A 2008 European Rubber Journal report said the plant started as a 30-tonne-a-day unit and had grown to about 90 tonnes a day, making truck, light-truck and farm tyres of crossply construction. The factory’s name stuck to the road outside: the crossing in front of it became Premier Junction, a name explained in our Premier Junction guide and place-names glossary.
Timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Premier Tyres Limited incorporated | PTL Enterprises; IIFL |
| September 1962 | Commercial production begins at Kalamassery | PTL Enterprises |
| 28 September 1972 | Apollo Tyres incorporated | Wikipedia |
| 1977 | Apollo commissions its first plant at Perambra, Thrissur district | Wikipedia |
| Before 1995 | Premier Tyres declared a sick company by BIFR | IIFL |
| 1995 | Apollo takes over under a BIFR rehabilitation scheme; Kalamassery becomes its third plant | Wikipedia; IIFL |
| 20 May 2005 | Premier Tyres renamed PTL Enterprises Ltd | IIFL |
| 9 October 2007 | Report that the company plans to relocate the Kalamassery unit elsewhere in Kerala | Tyrepress |
| January 2008 | PTL approves a ₹40-crore speciality tyre project at Irapuram, Ernakulam district | European Rubber Journal |
| 17 June 2017 | Kochi Metro opens with Kalamassery station at Premier Junction, in front of the plant | Wikipedia |
Sickness and the 1995 Apollo takeover
Before 1995 Premier Tyres had fallen into financial trouble and was declared a sick unit by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR), the body that then handled rescues of failing companies. Under a rehabilitation scheme prescribed by the board, Apollo Tyres took over the company in 1995.
The terms, as recorded in company summaries published by IIFL, were specific. Apollo subscribed ₹10 crore of additional equity in Premier at par. It took the factory on an irrevocable lease for eight years, paying total lease rentals of ₹45.50 crore, and bought all output to sell under the Apollo brand. Premier’s authorised capital rose from ₹4 crore to ₹14 crore and its registered office moved from Mumbai to Kochi. For Apollo, which had started at Perambra in 1977, Kalamassery became its third factory.
Premier Tyres was renamed PTL Enterprises Limited from 20 May 2005. It remains a separate listed company, an associate of Apollo, whose main asset is the Kalamassery plant.
Relocation talk and the plant today
In October 2007 Tyrepress reported that the company had decided to move the Kalamassery unit to another site in Kerala to expand capacity, and would consider developing the existing site. In January 2008 the European Rubber Journal reported that PTL had approved a ₹40-crore speciality tyre project at Irapuram in Ernakulam district, linked to a plan to move operations to a rubber park there. We have not found a source confirming that the Kalamassery operation was ever moved, and PTL’s own profile still describes the tyre facility at Kalamassery as leased to Apollo on a long-term basis.
Sources do not say whether the original eight-year lease was renewed on the same terms or replaced; PTL now simply calls it long-term. As of October 2026 the factory still stands behind Kalamassery metro station, which opened with the first section of Kochi Metro on 17 June 2017 – see Kochi Metro reaches Kalamassery.
Why it matters near the NAD signal
The tyre plant is one of the four or five factories that turned Kalamassery from a village into an industrial town, alongside HMT and the Eloor plants; the overview is in how Kalamassery became an industrial town. The rescue-by-lease model used here in 1995 is a useful contrast to closures elsewhere in the belt.
Ashraf Gents Hostel is a men’s hostel and PG at the NAD Road signal, on the Aluva side of town; Premier Junction and its metro station are a short bus or auto ride away. Indicative rent is about ₹2,000–3,000 a month and is confirmed on the call. Browse the full Kalamassery history archive.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Premier Tyres factory open in Kalamassery?
It began commercial production in September 1962, according to PTL Enterprises, the company that owns it.
When did Apollo take over Premier Tyres?
In 1995, under a rehabilitation scheme approved by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction.
Who owns the Kalamassery tyre plant now?
PTL Enterprises, the renamed Premier Tyres, owns it and leases it to Apollo Tyres on a long-term basis; Apollo carries out all production.
Why is it called Premier Junction?
The junction on NH 544 in front of the factory took its name from Premier Tyres, and the name stayed after Apollo took over.
Did the plant move to Irapuram?
A move was planned in 2007–08, but we found no source confirming it happened, and PTL still describes the plant as being at Kalamassery.
Related guides
Sources
- PTL Enterprises: Company profile
- IIFL: PTL Enterprises Ltd – company summary
- Wikipedia: Apollo Tyres
- Tyrepress: Premier Tyres to relocate Kalamassery plant (9 October 2007)
- European Rubber Journal: Apollo subsidiary PTL to invest Euro 7 million in Kerala (15 January 2008)
- Wikipedia: Kochi Metro
Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed . How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.
Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “From Premier Tyres to Apollo: The Kalamassery Tyre Factory.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/premier-tyres-to-apollo-kalamassery/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.