An Analytical Study of Rubber Skillfulness Growth in Indian Rubber Industry

National Rubber Policy (NRP) envisages a well-developed value-chain of environmentally sustainable and globally competitive rubber industry, comprising natural and other forms of rubber and products thereof and ancillary sectors, capable of supplying materials and products of international standards to domestic and world markets, with focus on welfare of the entire stakeholder community and national economic progress. Indian rubber industry is characterized by the co-existence of a well-established rubber production sector and a fast growing rubber products manufacturing and consuming sector. The Rubber Industry value chain begins from NR plantations and ends with a huge range of dry rubber and latex based products. Historically, NR was a regulated commodity with strong tariff protection and domestic market regulations. The key factors which have contributed to the growth of Indian rubber industry are positive intervention of institutional agencies aiming at self-sufficiency and import substitution. India is the 4th largest producer and 2ndlargest consumer of natural rubber in the world. The rubber industry comprise of tyre and non-tyre industries with a turnover of Rs.63,000 crore in 2011-12 with a CAGR of 10% for last 3 years. The Indian rubber industry consists of around 5,500 units1 and is dotted with the presence of several small and tiny units. To ensure availability of skilled human resources to rubber industry, the Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC) has been formed as a focused national level skill promoting entity under the aegis of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).