Cheap rubber imports from China and Thailand are harming the domestic industry in the current fiscal and the government should introduce safeguards to protect local players, according to industry members.
India’s rubber imports touched an all-time high of 415,000 tonne in 2014-15 owing to lower international prices and fall in domestic production. The imports stood at 360,000 tonne in 2013-14.
“Cheap rubber imports from China and Thailand in the current fiscal too, are harming the domestic industry. We demand that the government should introduce safeguards to protect domestic players and increase the procurement of natural rubber from the domestic market”, industry officials said on the sidelines of International Rubber World Summit and Expo here.
The event is organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and IRMRA -Indian Rubber Manufacturers Research Association – a Co-operative Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation affiliated to the Ministry of Commerce.
Addressing the inaugural gathering, Rear Admiral S P Lal, Admiral Superintendent of Dockyard, Naval Dockyard said: “Though only 25 per cent of all rubber products are used in products other than tyres, it is extremely important because it serves some segments vital to the nation, including aerospace, defence, aircrafts etc.”
Lal, who was the chief guest, said rubber industry can help in resolving a lot of problems being faced by the country, provided it becomes adaptive and innovate with products that reduce carbon emission.
“Indigenisation, innovation, empowering the rubber industry and skill development are ways in which the industry will serve the needs of the nation, provide jobs to a large number of people”, he added.
In his key-note address, Tom Thomos, Executive Director
(Project & R&D) Ceat Ltd, said:”Pneumatic tyres made mobility possible – becoming the largest contributor in human development and has spread across the world. Today, tyre and its allied industries practically control 75 per cent of the rubber industry.
“There is a serious concern in the modern world – that of global warming caused by emissions and the rubber industry is one of the most polluting industries”.
Thomos said the change is happening in the right direction.
Structural and material changes across the board, including recycling and re-treading are transforming the tyre industry drastically and taking steps to control the critical environmental issues.
Rajendra V Gandhi, President, IRMRA said, “India is dominated by locally grown brands rather than multinational products. However, we need to make quantum leap in quality of R&D.”
The exhibition showcases participation from a large number of countries including China, Japan, Singapore, Germany, the UK, the USA, Italy, Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Taiwan, among others, with whom India is keen to do business.
