Tyre Manufacturers Association Stresses On National Rubber Policy

The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has reiterated its demand for a comprehensive National Rubber Policy on the lines of auto sector policy in the country.

This was raised at the meeting when the tyre industry leaders met Amitabh Kant, new Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), before the stakeholders’ consultations at Rubber Board’s headquarters in Kottayam on May 9.

The tyre industry group included Rajeev Anand (Managing Director Goodyear India and Chairman ATMA), Raghupati Singhania (CMD JK Tyre and Vice Chairman ATMA), Anant Goenka (MD Ceat Tyres and Past Chairman, ATMA) and senior representatives from leading tyre companies who are members of ATMA.

The ATMA committee urged for the need and imperatives of a comprehensive National Rubber Policy to be framed outlining the medium-long term objectives, roadmap and recommendations, sectoral competitiveness etc, which is under consideration by the Commerce Ministry.

According to Singhania, much like the auto policy which envisions a long term roadmap for the industry, the country also needs a National Rubber Policy as rubber touches the lives of over 10 lakh growers and has a rich and diverse value chain encompassing tyres, other rubber goods like conveyer belts, auto components, footwear, medical supplies, sports equipment etc. Each segment of the rubber sector has its own set of complexities which need to be addressed in a policy document with defined growth parameters, he said.

For the last several years, the domestic consumption rubber has outstripped its availability. According to Rubber Board figures, the gap between domestic production and consumption widened to 1,33,400 tonnes in the just concluded year 2013-14.

The industry estimates that during the current fiscal year also the production will lag behind consumption by around 1,00,000 tonnes. According to ATMA, rubber imports are therefore imperative to plug the demand supply mismatch.

Source : thehindubusinessline.com