The Rubber Board of India has stated that Assam has emerged as a major player in India’s natural rubber sector, with nearly 50,000 hectares under cultivation, making it the third-largest natural rubber producing state after Kerala and Tripura.

Key Highlights

• Assam currently ranks third in natural rubber production in India.
• The Northeast region has around 1.8 lakh hectares under rubber plantations.
• Rubber cultivation is expanding rapidly due to favourable climatic conditions and growing domestic demand.
• The sector is increasingly being recognised alongside tea as an important plantation industry in Assam.

INROAD Project

What is it?

• INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) is an initiative of the Rubber Board.
• It is funded by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA).
• Project INROAD is the first-of-its-kind initiative globally where the tyre industry is directly contributing to the development of rubber plantations. 
  • INROAD is implemented by the Rubber Board of India.

Objective

• To expand natural rubber cultivation in Northeast India and West Bengal.
• To increase domestic rubber production and reduce import dependence.
• To address critical gaps in infrastructure and training that have hampered productivity in the region. 

Achievements

• Target: 2 lakh hectares of new plantations between 2021 and 2026.
• Achieved: 1.79 lakh hectares already planted.
• Beneficiaries: More than 2.07 lakh growers.
• Facilitated the planting of rubber across 1,25,272 hectares in 94 districts of the Northeast and West Bengal. 
• Over 5.3 crore rubber planting materials distributed among resource-deprived populations

Recent Development

• The world’s first genetically modified rubber plant, developed by the Rubber Research Institute of India for Northeast climatic conditions, has been planted in Assam.
• The innovation aims to improve productivity and adaptability in the region.

Economic Significance

• Natural rubber is a strategic raw material for the tyre, automobile, healthcare and manufacturing sectors.
• Expansion of rubber cultivation provides additional income opportunities for farmers.
• India’s Free Trade Agreements and export promotion initiatives are expected to create new market opportunities for plantation products.

About Natural Rubber

• Natural rubber is native to the Amazon basin, and is obtained from the latex of the tree Hevea brasiliensis.
• It was introduced to countries in the tropical belts of Asia and Africa in the late 19th century.
• It is mainly an equatorial crop but can also be grown in tropical and subtropical regions and thrives in regions with high rainfall, humid climate and well-drained soil.
• India is among the world’s leading producers and consumers of natural rubber.

Exam Hook – Prelims Question

Q. Consider the following statements regarding natural rubber in India:

1. Natural rubber is obtained from Hevea brasiliensis.
2. Kerala is the largest producer of natural rubber in India.
3. The INROAD Project is funded by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (c)

One-Line Wrap

With nearly 50,000 hectares under cultivation and rapid expansion under the INROAD Project, Assam is emerging as a key centre of India’s natural rubber economy.

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