In July 2020, The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification stating that “Cars and SUVs with tubeless tyres can run without a spare wheel, provided they are fitted with a standard puncture repair kit and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).” This system helps monitor the inflation pressure in tyres alerting the driver of any reduction in the pressure when the vehicle is on the move. Presently, a handful of high-end SUVs have TPMS in India, as installing these systems is voluntary; however, there is a growing demand to increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles to avert any road mishaps.

Fleeca India Pvt Ltd, a Jaipur based startup, was founded in 2016 by Tikam Chand Jain with an objective to provide India’s best tyre management and fleet care services to Indian transportation and logistics businesses. The aim was to help fleet owners to leverage the merits of advanced technology in making their businesses more manageable and profitable in terms of efficiency and affordable tyre management services. Fleeca now operates in 21 states with more than 200+ staff. Fleeca is also recognised by the Rajasthan government’s iStart initiative and got a strategic investment of 25 Crores from Bridgestone.

Tikam Chand Jain, founder and CEO of Fleeca India Pvt Ltd, claims to have introduced the industry’s first AI and IoT based tyre management in 2016. Before beginning his entrepreneurial journey, Tikam was associated with Shriram General Insurance Co. Ltd. as a manager from 2006-2012. At Shriram, he developed excellent domain knowledge, with a lot of logistics and corporate exposure and expertise in technology and innovation. 

He started his entrepreneurial journey with the telecom industry from 2013-to 2015, where he was responsible for software development in telecom tower sites. Later, he identified the relevance and need of technology and innovation to bridge the gap in the logistic sector, especially in the fleet industry.

Analytics India Magazine interacted with Tikam, who gave insights about how TPMS and Fleeca made a difference in the fleet industry.

AIM – What are the drawbacks and challenges of tyre management in fleet services before TPMS?  

Tikam Jain – 

There are multiple, including: 

1. Increased maintenance and costs: Tyres claim large margins after fuel while considering revenues in fleet-based businesses, and by maintaining tyres, one can help save money on gas and extend the tyres’ lives. A decent tyre pressure management system can save a fleet up to 3 per cent on fuel expenses, which is generally the whole tyre budget. Since there are no regular fleet check-ups and inspection processes without TPMS, it leads to increased maintenance expenses.
2. Manual tyre inspection: Because there was no adequate technology to check the tyres, manual inspections were required from time to time, which drivers frequently overlook or perform needlessly. This leads to either duplication of efforts or improper tyre management and wastage of time.
3. Process delays: Underinflated tyres significantly influence performance, including carrying capacity, safety, and longevity. It also causes delays in getting to the destination and getting the items delivered on schedule.
4. More accidents: Underinflated tyres might cause unpredictable driving habits. This can result in unexpected injuries and accidents. Tyre management technology is needed to make tyres less accident-prone by providing information at the proper time so that drivers and fleets can travel safely and smoothly on the road.

AIM – How has TPMS made a difference in tyre management and fleet service? What are the benefits?

Tikam Jain – The capacity to compare thousands of vehicles, routes, tyres, and drivers is perhaps the most significant benefit of these big data systems. TPMS gives you access to a lot of information on your tyres’ fuel efficiency, wear rates, failure rates, and other metrics.

Benefits of TPMS include:

1. Extend tyre life: Underinflated tyres are the leading cause of tyre failure. When tyres are not properly inflated, they might experience mechanical or thermal overload, resulting in sidewall damage, tyre disintegration, and failures. A tyre pressure monitor can rescue you from all of these situations by delivering you real-time data.
2. Fuel efficiency: Incorrect tyre inflation necessitates a large amount of fuel to run. The vehicle burns less gasoline and gets greater mileage when the tyre pressure is accurate.
3. Economical: A tyre pressure monitoring system helps save money in various ways. It cuts down the downtime hours and saves money on repairs and gasoline refills.
4. Improved road safety: Unpredictable driving behaviours are caused by underinflated tyres. This can result in unexpected injuries and accidents. To save from all of this, TPMS provides the necessary information at the appropriate time, allowing you to visit a nearby tyre repair shop.
5. Environment friendly: When tyres are underinflated, they produce more carbon monoxide than normal. Installing a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in the car makes one more ecologically conscious.

AIM – How does TPMS work? Please explain in detail the tech used and elaborate on how it functions.

Tikam Jain – The TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Device) is an electronic rim-mounted system without the need for signal boosters that warns the driver every 20 seconds about the temperature and air pressure in the tyres of heavy vehicles. This system may be put in both tubeless and tube tyres, and it will improve not only tyre life but also road safety and environmental protection.

There are two types of TPMS: 

Indirect TPMS

Indirect tyre pressure monitoring systems (iTPMS) do not use physical pressure sensors, instead measure air pressures with software-based systems that estimate and monitor tyre pressure without physical sensor systems in the wheels by analysing and combining existing sensor signals such as wheel speeds, accelerometers, driveline data, and so on.

Direct TPMS

This is the most secure and preferred method of using TPMS. Individual sensors are installed in the tyres, and the data is relayed to the dashboard the same way as a radio signal is. The driver is informed of the pressure and temperature of the tyres and can take appropriate action. If you are concerned about the sensors’ longevity, keep in mind that they rely on a battery that must be updated to provide the correct information at the appropriate moment.

AIM – Is this technology first in India? Is it used elsewhere (abroad)?

Tikam Jain – TPMS was first used on European premium automobiles in the 1980s, and the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette was the first American car to have it. The TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation) Act, passed by the Clinton Administration in 2000, was TPMS’ big break. The TREAD Act, among other things, required that every new car sold in the United States after September 2007 be fitted with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Currently, with a combined market share of 58.7%, the United States and Europe constitute substantial marketplaces worldwide. China is the fastest-growing market, with a CAGR of 17.7% throughout the analysis period, owing to legislation requiring all vehicles registered after 2019 to be equipped with tyre pressure monitoring systems by 2020. As the application of GB26149 for TPMS grows from vehicle categories M and N to vehicle category M1, TPMS demand in the Chinese OEM market will rise.

AIM – What is the road ahead for Fleeca?

Tikam Jain – The company began with only two employees in Jaipur in 2016 and has since expanded around the country. From a long-term viewpoint, we wish to continue growing and expanding in both financial and geographical regions. We already operate in 21 states and hope to expand our services to the rest of the world. We are also aiming to open more training centres to teach students about tyre management, and we would like to work with more institutions to do so. We are also working to make our solutions more accessible by forming new partnerships to expand the range and scope of our services throughout a larger geographic area.