Domestic production of natural rubber way below existing demand: Tyremakers

Tyre industry consumes around 65-70% of the overall natural rubber produced in India

Tyre makers have expressed concerns over the availablity of natural rubber (NR) in India, as domestic production levels continue to be less than the existing demand for the raw material in the country.

The Rubber Board had projected NR production to stand at 8 lakh tonnes in 2017-18, marking a growth of 16 per cent over last year’s production level of 6.9 lakh tonnes. However, in the first half of 2017-18, production is at a level of 3.2 lakh tonnes, indicating a mere 5 per cent growth over last year’s standings.

In order to achieve the 8 lakh-tonne target set