Onkar Kanwar

Chairman & Managing Director, Apollo Tyres


Onkar Kanwar is a visionary entrepreneur and the man behind the establishment and phenomenal success of the Apollo Group, a leading Indian conglomerate with diversified interests globally.

Onkar Kanwar is a Science and Administration graduate from the University of California. His core principles of creating stakeholder value through reliability in products and dependability in relationships are visible in all aspects of the group’s operations.

Apollo Tyres, the flagship company of the Apollo Group is a high-performance tyre manufacturer, counted among the top tyre companies worldwide. Under his prolific guidance, Apollo Tyres has grown tremendously and transformed itself from an Indian tyre manufacturing company to a global giant with a wide spectrum of product offerings and a global presence.

Leading the company with a futuristic vision, he captured the international market with a supply network across 118 countries. The entrepreneurial experience of Onkar Kanwar and his understanding of industry dynamics are evident in his business approach as well.

Onkar Kanwar is the Past President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and a former Chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association. Currently, apart from being a member of the Trade Advisory Committee to the Government of India and the President of the Indian Rubber Manufacturers Research Association (IRMRA), he is also a Member of the Board of Governors for the Indian Institute of Management (Kozhikode) and the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing (IIITDM).

Beyond business, Onkar Kanwar is also engaged in constantly bettering the lives of people associated with the group as employees, customers, business partners, shareholders or any other stakeholder. He strongly believes in giving back to society.

Onkar Kanwar has a keen interest in the field of education and healthcare. The Apollo Group has established Artemis Health Sciences, a modern multispecialty medical facility offering highly advanced medical services and holistic treatment.

Apart from this, Onkar Kanwar’s healthcare initiatives include Apollo Tyres Foundation’s Health Care Centres, present in several regions across India. The foundation has initiated Apollo Tyres’ HIV-AIDS awareness and prevention program for the commercial vehicle driver community.

Onkar Kanwar has a keen interest in reading and exploring modern management practice areas to learn and successfully implement those in his business. The Apollo Group is a highly successful organization and Onkar Kanwar has been instrumental in the consistent growth and diversification of the group and continues to lead this saga of impeccable success.