All India Tyre Dealers' Federation (AITDF) has claimed that there was no slump in demand and that prices were firm, but closure of factories like the Dunlop unit at Sahagunj was leading to creation of a oligopoly of a few manufacturers.
In doing so, AITDF opposed Dunlop India's recent decision to shut down its Sahagunj plant on account of adverse environment in the tyre market.
"The Centre and the state government should immediately intervene and see that production resumes in the interest of domestic tyre trade which has been reeling under the oligopolistic hold of a handful of domestic tyre producers," said S P Singh, convenor of AITDF.