Delhi’s markets to cricket fields: how Apollo Tyres went the distance

In bustling New Delhi’s Tansen Marg, the headquarters of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) proudly showcases the portraits of its past presidents. Among them are Raunaq Singh and his son, Onkar Singh Kanwar, who led the body in 1989 and 2004, respectively. Raunaq Singh’s journey from a displaced refugee in post-Partition India to one of the country’s notable industrialists is nothing short of inspirational. When he crossed the border with his family, Onkar Singh Kanwar was only a toddler.

The beginning

Raunaq Singh’s story begins in Lahore, before the Partition of India in 1947. Born into a family engaged in the steel pipe trade, he had no inkling of the challenges that would soon reshape his life. The Partition forced him, like millions of others, to abandon his home amid violence and uncertainty. Arriving in Delhi penniless, he and his family squeezed into a cramped Gole Market room shared with 13 others.

Despite the adversity, Raunaq Singh’s determination pushed him to take whatever work he could find. He started out at a steel pipe shop in Ajmeri Gate and later worked at a small establishment in Hauz Qazi. But his ambitions stretched far beyond these early struggles. In a bold move, he sold his wife’s jewellery for Rs 8,000 and left for Kolkata in search of new opportunities.

It was there that he discovered his true entrepreneurial calling. With relentless work and strategic acumen, he began laying the foundation of what would evolve into one of India’s major industrial enterprises.

50-year-old story

At his office in the Allahabad Bank building in Connaught Place, Raunaq often narrated how Apollo Tyres was conceived. “In 1975, I took the bold step of venturing into the tyre industry. My son, Onkar Singh Kanwar, was helping me. We acquired a licence from the Kerala government to manufacture tyres, and Apollo Tyres was born,” he once recalled in an interview. What began modestly soon gained momentum under his incisive leadership. Apollo Tyres quickly emerged as one of India’s leading manufacturers, recognised for innovation and scale.

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Cricket team sponsor

In a significant shift, Apollo Tyres—promoted by a Delhi-based family—made a strategic decision to enter the world of sports sponsorship. Having already built a strong presence in the tyre industry, the company sought to elevate its brand visibility and extend its global footprint. This was when Apollo chose to partner with one of India’s most cherished sporting institutions: cricket.

In the ongoing India–South Africa series, Indian players can be seen wearing jerseys emblazoned with the Apollo Tyres logo, signalling the brand’s arrival on one of the world’s most influential sporting stages.

St. Columba’s School

Today, while Onkar Singh Kanwar heads Apollo Tyres, his son Neeraj Kanwar serves as Managing Director and CEO, steering the company’s global ambitions. It is said that Neeraj was especially keen on forging a partnership with the Indian cricket team. His Delhi roots run deep and have shaped his resilient business ethos. Schooled at St. Columba’s in the Capital, he honed discipline amid its vibrant bustle.

Neeraj’s early professional years plunged him into Delhi’s gritty logistical heartlands. As a marketing trainee, he spent long hours in the sweltering transport hub of Peeragarhi in northwest Delhi—a dust-laden space dominated by expletive-spewing truckers and sharp-minded dealers. The city’s chaotic logistics scene, he has often said, taught him invaluable marketing lessons. “Delhi taught me the real India,” he once reflected, crediting its energy and unpredictability for Apollo’s customer-centric approach. Apollo’s northern operations hub in Gurugram further underscores the brand’s deep ties to the NCR ecosystem.

Family of entrepreneurs

Meanwhile, Raunaq Singh’s daughter, Rani, married noted industrialist Surinder Kapoor. Their son, Sanjay Kapoor—better known in public memory as Karisma Kapoor’s former husband—comes from a family with over a century of experience in the jewellery business. The Kapoors migrated from Peshawar to Delhi during Partition and set up Kapoor Jewellers in Connaught Place, a showroom that continues to operate near Odeon.

Returning to the Kanwars and cricket, industry observers believe Apollo Tyres intends to broaden its investments beyond cricket to other sports as well. “The Kanwar family is very grounded, and they avoid media glare. They invest in various charities in Delhi-NCR,” says Jitender Singh Shunty, a noted social worker.