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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Northeast emerges as new natural rubber source for tyre industry
The govt's effort to extend natural rubber plantation to north-eastern states has started to bear fruit with Tripura becoming the second largest source of natural rubber after Kerala for the first time in 10 years. According to data from AIRIA (All India Rubber Industries Association), Tripura's NR yield has jumped from 39,000 tonne to 91,500 tonne in the last 10 years. Kerala's yield has fallen from 6,48,220 tonne to 6,09,600 tonne in 10 years. Assam's share has grown from 13,600 tonne to 46,500 tonne while Meghalaya is at 11,775 tonne, up from 7,570 tonne a decade back. Already around 15% of the total NR used by the tyre industry comes from the north east. Sunam Sarkar, president and chief business officer, Apollo Tyres said, "Natural Rubber production in Tripura and Assam has risen in the last couple of years, and the quality has also seen some improvement, leading to higher off take by the tyre industry and Apollo Tyres." The north east sourcing is seeing an uptick even though the region has not yet hit its peak planned coverage of 200,000 hectare. Anshuman Singhania, MD, JK Tyre said, "This is our fifth year in reckoning and out of 2 lakh hectare which was the layout of the plan, we are at around 70,000 to 75,000 hectare. We are increasing our buying from the North East apart from buying from the traditional (plantations) down south." According to Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) in the first four years of the Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development (INROAD) project (FY22-FY25), an area of 1.25 lakh hectare (ha) has been covered under new NR plantations across 94 districts in North East and parts of West Bengal. In a first of its kind project, the tyre industry is contributing directly towards development of rubber plantation. The project entails development of 200,000 ha of rubber plantation in the north eastern states and West Bengal financially supported by 4 members of ATMA - Apollo, Ceat, JK and MRF. The project is being implemented by the Rubber Board of India. The INROAD project is critical for India because of the demand-supply mismatch. Shashi Singh, president of the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) said, "Domestic NR production is around 8.5 lakh tonne with the North East contributing around 1.5 lakh tonne. Given that India's total NR requirement is 14.5 lakh tonne, all tyre companies are looking at the north east for additional sourcing. Production in Kerala has reached its peak, so the North East has potential for expansion." The share of North East in India's area under NR plantation before the launch of the INROAD project was 23%. Once the objective of developing plantations in additional 2 lakh ha under the INROAD project is achieved, it is estimated that the share of NE states will increase to 38%. "Similarly the share of North East in India's NR production will go up from 16% currently to 32%," ATMA sources say.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
iSPEED: India launches Rs 145 crore rubber skilling and production boost drive
INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) has launched Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive (iSPEED). #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack A Chinese shadow falls on Pahalgam terror attack case probe How India can use water to pressure Pakistan Buzzkill: How India can dissolve the Pakistan problem, not just swat it iSPEED, a Rs 145 crore initiative is a five-year commitment to directly benefit over 2 lakh smallholder rubber farmers and nursery owners across the Northeastern states and West Bengal by imparting structured skill training, deploying modern infrastructure, and improving quality standards at source. Under this initiative 3,000 smokehouses for high-quality sheet production will be set up and 3,000 sheet rolling machines, including manual and motorised units will be installed. INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive (iSPEED)was launched by Arun Mammen, Chairman, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) along with Pravin Tripathi, Chairman, INROAD in Guwahati on Tuesday. INROAD is a first of its kind project in the world where the tyre industry is contributing directly towards development of rubber plantations financially supported by four members of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) including Apollo, Ceat , JK and MRF and implemented by the Rubber Board of India. 'With iSPEED, we are investing in the knowledge and capabilities of India's rubber growers,' said Arun Mammen, Chairman, ATMA and Vice Chairman & Managing Director MRF Ltd. 'The Indian Tyre Industry is proud to support a model that empowers smallholders with scientific know-how, sustainable practices, and shared infrastructure. It's a step towards true rubber self-reliance.' Rubber cultivation in the Northeast has grown significantly under the INROAD Project , with over 1.36 lakh new growers taking up plantation in the past four years. However, limited access to scientific tapping techniques, quality processing infrastructure, and disease management continues to impact yields. To address these gaps, iSPEED will support the deployment of, 3,000 smokehouses for high-quality sheet production, 3,000 sheet rolling machines, including manual and motorised units, model nurseries and demonstration units across key field stations, processing and grading centres for post-harvest management and a network of lead farmers to support community-based knowledge transfer. 'With INROAD laying the foundation, iSPEED will bring the momentum,' said Pravin Tripathi, Chairman, INROAD. 'We are building rural infrastructure and skilling models that will outlast the project cycle and create sustainable value for growers.' ATMA Chairman launched the initiative formally by inaugurating a few smokehouses in Tripura and Assam tailor made for the region and created using local materials. Since the majority of the beneficiaries of the project are small landholders with holdings of less than one acre, INROAD is encouraging group approach for creating infrastructure so that the entire community is empowered. Rubber smokehouses are vital for producing high-quality rubber sheets by drying and curing latex, the milky substance that is tapped skilfully from the rubber trees. The Rubber Board will be the primary implementation partner, supported by regional institutions like Tripura University and other domain experts. Expected outcomes of iSPEED include improved productivity in rubber plantations, enhanced quality of RSS-4 grade rubber at farm-gate level, better pricing and improved incomes for growers, promotion of sustainable tapping, intercropping, and effluent management and formation of a trained local workforce aligned with global best practices.
