Author: Dev Patel | EQMint | Founder Stories
When India’s roads hum with trucks at dawn and cars at dusk, a quiet revolution in how tyres are sold and serviced is underway — and one of its architects is Harish Kakkad, the industry veteran behind Ultra Mile Tyres. Known in some circles as “Tony” Harish Kakkad, he brings decades of distribution and transport experience to a strategy that blends legacy knowledge with retail-first thinking.
From distribution roots to retail ambition
Harish Kakkad’s journey is rooted in the tyre trade and transport business. Before Ultra Mile, he served as a director at Trans Tyre India Pvt. Ltd., a major name in tyre distribution — a role that placed him at the heart of India’s tyre ecosystem and helped him understand the industry’s operational and market-level challenges. That experience informs Ultra Mile’s retail playbook today.
Industry filings and company records list Harish Kakkad in key leadership and director roles for Ultra Mile and related entities, underscoring his formal stewardship of the brand and its retail operations. Across press releases and company profiles, Harish and partner Rahul Kakkad are described as bringing almost two decades of experience to the business.
Reimagining tyre retail for an evolving market
The tyre market in India has long been dominated by distribution networks, OEM supply chains, and local aftermarket garages. Harish saw opportunity in modernising how tyres reach end-consumers — by building a retail proposition that focuses on visibility, assortment, and service consistency. Ultra Mile’s retail stores and product catalogues are designed to serve both the consumer (PCR — passenger car radial tyres) and commercial segments (TBR — truck and bus radial tyres), capitalizing on the Kakkads’ combined expertise.
Ultra Mile’s launch strategy also emphasized “Made in India” messaging for certain product lines, and public communications have highlighted the brand’s intent to be a credible, nationally distributed retail tyre name. These moves reflect Harish’s dual instincts: respect for the industry’s technical roots and eagerness to embrace modern retail formats.
A reputation built on introduction of radial tyres
Harish Kakkad is frequently credited in industry narratives as one of the pioneers who introduced radial tyres into segments of the Indian market — an association that speaks to his influence in shaping buying preferences and product adoption over time. That pioneering role gave him a rare vantage point: he has witnessed technology shifts (bias to radial), supply-chain evolutions, and changing customer expectations — a knowledge set he now applies to Ultra Mile’s strategy.
Balancing distribution knowledge with retail execution
Turning distribution experience into a consumer-facing retail brand is a complex leap. Harish’s playbook has several visible pillars:
- Product breadth: Catering to both PCR and TBR segments to ensure the brand is relevant across private and commercial fleets.
- Channel mix: Combining company-operated outlets with partner retail formats to scale reach without surrendering quality control.
- Brand positioning: Emphasising reliability, Indian manufacturing where applicable, and a professional retail experience compared with traditional tyre bazaars.
This systematic approach — honed from years in distribution — helps Ultra Mile avoid common retail pitfalls such as stock mismatches, inconsistent service, and weak warranty management.
The people and partnerships behind the brand
Ultra Mile’s public materials and filings show a small leadership ecosystem with Harish and Rahul Kakkad as visible partners. Their combined experience across tyre trade, transport, and retail forms the backbone of the company’s go-to-market plans. Investors and trade press have noted the duo’s industry tenure as a differentiator when Ultra Mile began scaling its retail footprint.
Challenges and the road ahead
No tyre brand scales without friction. Ultra Mile faces the classic set of sectoral challenges: supply chain reliability, competing with legacy OEM suppliers and established brands, ensuring consistent technical service across outlets, and convincing price-sensitive buyers that a modern retail experience is worth a premium. Harish’s prior experience in distribution is a practical advantage here — having navigated fleet procurement cycles and the logistics of tyre replenishment, he’s using those lessons to build resilient operations.
Looking forward, Ultra Mile’s ambitions appear focused on steadily widening its retail presence, leveraging a franchise-friendly playbook and targeting both metro and non-metro markets where aftermarket tyre demand is strong. Public filings and press notes indicate continued product introductions and outreach to commercial vehicle owners — a sensible route given India’s commercial-vehicle-heavy tyre demand.
What founders and operators can learn from Harish Kakkad
Harish Kakkad’s path offers clear lessons for entrepreneurs bridging B2B legacy markets and B2C retail ambitions:
- Leverage domain expertise — Deep industry experience is a competitive moat when entering retail.
- Translate systems, not just products — Retail success requires operational SOPs borrowed from distribution discipline.
- Be patient with adoption — Category shifts (e.g., bias to radial) take time; persistence pays.
- Blend local manufacturing with strong branding — ‘Made in India’ credentials paired with consistent retail experience can win customers.
Final word: veteran leadership for modern retail
Harish Kakkad is not a flash-in-the-pan founder; he is a product of the tyre industry’s long arc — from distribution corridors to retail showrooms. Under his stewardship, Ultra Mile aims to convert that heritage into a standardized, customer-friendly retail experience. If the brand can execute on logistics, aftersales, and quality — areas where Harish has demonstrable expertise — Ultra Mile could well become a recognizable retail tyre name across India’s highways and city streets.
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