Logistics hurdles stall Tripura’s tyre dream despite high rubber output

Agartala, Nov 2: Logistic constraints remain a major obstacle to setting up rubber-based industries in Tripura, an official of the Rubber Board said on Sunday.

Tripura, the second-largest natural rubber-producing state in India, currently has only one rubber thread production unit operating at the Bodhjungnagar Industrial Area in West Tripura district.

“Despite all our efforts, the dream of setting up a tyre manufacturing unit in Tripura still remains unfulfilled because of logistic constraints. Around 70 per cent of the non-rubber components required to produce tyres or tubes are not available in the local market. This is the biggest challenge in establishing any manufacturing unit in the state,” said Sali N, Joint Rubber Production Commissioner (Rubber Board), Agartala.

India produces as many as 46,000 different rubber-based products, he noted, but Tripura faces higher production costs due to dependence on external suppliers. “If any entrepreneur brings non-rubber components from outside the state, the production cost will increase substantially. This is a major deterrent,” Sali said.

He further pointed out that the raw rubber production and local market size are limited, adding to the state’s industrial challenges. “Tripura produces only 1,16,058.02 metric tonnes of natural rubber annually, which is too low to sustain a large manufacturing unit. Such an amount can be consumed within a month or two by a single factory,” he said.

Sali, however, acknowledged that rubber cultivation has transformed Tripura’s rural economy, providing steady income to farmers. “The rubber growers have no complaints about market access. In some areas, they even receive advance payments. Many families have become economically stable through rubber cultivation,” he added.

The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) and the Rubber Board have launched an initiative for new planting and replanting over 30,000 hectares across the Northeast over five years starting in 2021.

“This has opened new prospects for rubber cultivation in the region. The project, known as the ‘Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission’, has already achieved 47,746.84 hectares of plantation in Tripura within the first four years,” Sali said.

However, the Tripura Rajya Rubber Utpadak Samity (TRRUS), a collective of rubber growers, blamed the state government for failing to set up rubber-based industries despite strong production potential.

“Rubber growers across the state have started producing quality sheets that can support small or medium industries such as slipper making, doll manufacturing, and tyre and tube production. But we find a lack of initiative in adding value to the rubber sheets,” said Pranab Debroy, Secretary of TRRUS.

On quality, Debroy said that rubber sheets produced under Rubber Producers’ Societies (RPSs) maintain good standards, but quality tends to fall when processed individually. “We requested the Rubber Board of India to provide one roller and smoke house facility for every group of four or five growers. This will significantly improve the quality of rubber sheets,” he added.

Despite the challenges, officials and industry leaders believe that with improved logistics, infrastructure, and policy support, Tripura could emerge as a hub for rubber-based industries in Northeast India.

PTI