MRF was founded by K.M. Mammen Mappillai (KM), who was born in a Syrian Christian family based in Kerala, with 9 other siblings. With his tread rubber manufacturing business performing splendidly, KM decided to expand downstream the value chain and began manufacturing tyres. Hence kickstarting the birth of India’s largest tyre manufacturer, but this was easier said than done. MRF decided to partner with an American tyre maker called Mansfield Tire & Rubber.

In 1963, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru himself laid the foundation stone of their factory and MRF began to compete fiercely for government contracts, along with other Indian manufacturers as well. Now, with a level playing field ensured, MRF began to expand its focus towards becoming a household name. This was quite an unconventional move at the time, as MRF had just broken into the ranks of the B2B Indian tyre market and now was looking to make a splash on the retail front as well. To turn this manufacturer into a brand they hired the man called the father of Indian advertising, Alyque Padamsee. To give you some context, Padamsee worked with over a hundred brands, including Bajaj, Surf, and Liril becoming the first Indian to be inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame, the advertising world’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Upon being hired by MRF, Alyque decided to go straight to the target audience, that is, the customer. He met-up with truck drivers who told him that a tyre should be strong and powerful, leading him to create the MRF Muscle Man in 1964, which personified the strength of MRF’s tyres and would later be leveraged in TV commercials during the 1980’s as well.