India needs to increase the area under rubber cultivation on a war footing to meet the domestic demand, reduce the dependence on imports, and restrict the outgo of foreign exchange, urged Dr Sawar Dhanania, Chairman, Rubber Board.

NR production in India will not be sufficient to meet the consumer industry's demands as consumption is expected to reach 1500,000 tonnes by 2025-26. Imports presently meet the production-consumption gap, and that involves a huge amount of foreign exchange outgo, said Dr Dhanania during his presidential address at the 181st meeting of the Rubber Board held at Kottayam.

As per Dr K N Raghavan IRS, Executive Director, NR production in the country improved to 775,000 tonnes during 2021-22 compared to 715,000 tonnes during 2020-21, recording a growth of 8.4 percent compared to an increase of 0.4 percent registered during the previous year. An increase in yield, tappable area and area tapped during the year contributed to the rise in NR production.

India is already exploring non-traditional areas, including North East and traditional regions, to increase rubber cultivation. The                             

Board has identified a vast stretch of land in North East and West Bengal for rubber cultivation.

Under the'NE-MITRA project, ATMA and Rubber Board signed an MOU to develop 2 lakh hectares of rubber plantations in North East India with an approved outlay of INR 10 billion and spend INR one billion for quality improvement of rubber produced. Meantime, the efforts for extra income generating activities like beekeeping, intercropping etc., should be continued. Dr Raghavan added that promoting the rubber wood industry and carbon trading is the need of the hour to make a green environment and bring sustainability to the rubber sector.     

The area under rubber during 2021-22 was 826,660 ha. Though the tappable area under rubber was 718,800 ha during 2021-22, only 526,500 ha (73.2 percent) has contributed to the NR production during the year. The average yield, measured in terms of production per hectare of the tapped area increased to 1,472 kg/ha in 2021-22 from 1,442 kg/ha in the previous year.

India consumed 1,238,000 MT of NR in 2021-22, an increase of 12.9 percent from 1,096,410 MT consumed in 2020-21. The auto tyre sector registered 15.9 percent growth during 2021-22, against 3.2 percent recorded during 2020-21. At the same time, the general rubber goods sector registered 5.6 percent growth during 2021-22 compared to a high negative growth of 16.4 percent recorded during 2020-21. Auto-tyre manufacturing sector accounted for 73.1 percent of the total quantity of NR consumed in the country during 2021-22. The projection of NR production and consumption for 2022-23 is 850,000 tonnes and 1290,000 tonnes, respectively.

Import of NR increased to 546,369 tonnes during 2021-22 compared to 410,478 tonnes during 2020-21. 60 percent of the import was through duty paid channel. 87.5 percent of import was in the form of block rubber. The primary reason for importing huge quantities of this commodity is the gap between the quantity of NR produced within the country and that required by the consuming industry.

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Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited (STA) has formally committed to the Science Based Target Initiative for Industrial Greenhouse Gas Reduction towards Net Zero (Phase 3), organised by Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) in collaboration with the Center of Excellence in Eco-Energy, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University. This declaration positions the company among 16 leading Thai organisations committed to embedding scientifically validated climate targets throughout their operations and supply networks.

STA has established a target to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 23 percent by 2030, using 2024 as its reference point, with the ultimate ambition of reaching net zero by 2050. These goals directly support the international objective of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. Beyond direct emissions, the company is enhancing its rubber and teak plantations to function as carbon sinks, generating certified credits while supplying raw materials. This strategy aligns with its net zero pathway and responds to the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which promotes heightened corporate environmental accountability.

By embracing this initiative, STA underscores its vision of evolving into a low-carbon, fully integrated natural rubber enterprise. The company aims to reconcile commercial growth with ecological and social stewardship, thereby aiding Thailand’s wider shift towards a sustainable, low-carbon future.

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Solvay has entered into an official partnership with the Belgian Rugby Federation, marking the beginning of a collaboration founded on mutual principles and a unified goal: uniting communities and fostering human development. This alliance naturally extends from the company's enduring philosophy, established over 160 years ago by its founder Ernest Solvay. His humanistic ideals, emphasising education, inclusivity and communal strength as the foundations of progress, continue to drive the organisation's sustainability framework and its commitment to making a worldwide positive impact.

The sport of rugby embodies these same values through its inherent focus on trust, collective effort and perseverance. These attributes empower individuals while simultaneously forging a stronger, unified entity. Through this new role, Solvay will provide backing to the men's national teams, including the Rugby 7s side, the under-20 squads and the refereeing community. This support is designed to enhance accessibility and growth opportunities within the sport for young athletes and local clubs.

Beyond the field, this initiative will allow international Solvay teams to unite around key matches, reinforcing bonds with local stakeholders and cultivating a collective sense of mission. This partnership reinforces a conviction held since the company's inception: that human advancement is a shared endeavour, gaining true strength and momentum when people come together.

Philippe Kehren, CEO, Solvay, said, “Rugby expresses a belief that Solvay holds deeply: people go further when they move forward together, the only ‘en avant’ that is allowed. This partnership celebrates Solvay’s heritage while opening new possibilities for connection – bringing colleagues and communities together around the world, especially when the national team competes abroad.”

Michiel Leysen, President, Belgian Rugby Federation, said, “The Belgian Rugby Federation is honoured to welcome Solvay as its official partner. This partnership will help expand the reach of rugby and inspire new generations of players.”

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ARLANXEO has announced that its Therban (HNBR) and Buna (BR) production facilities in Orange, Texas, have been awarded ISCC PLUS certification. This recognition allows the site to manufacture and offer products bearing the ARLANXEO Eco label, which represents the company's range of certified sustainable elastomers developed through a mass balance approach. As a result, ARLANXEO can now provide customers across North America and other global markets with verified sustainable alternatives that support carbon footprint reduction while preserving the high performance and reliability characteristic of Therban and Buna materials.

This achievement holds particular importance for the company's Specialty Elastomers division, as the Orange facility becomes the first Therban HNBR production site to earn this certification. It marks a significant step in broadening ARLANXEO's portfolio of sustainable high-performance elastomers. Additionally, the certification of Buna BR production at the same location further enriches the company's sustainable offerings, especially for clients in North America.

The ISCC PLUS certification is a globally acknowledged standard ensuring traceability, transparency and responsible sourcing throughout supply chains. By utilising the mass balance method to incorporate circular and renewable raw materials, ARLANXEO delivers Eco grades that enable customers to lower their environmental impact without sacrificing technical quality. This milestone aligns with the company's wider global sustainability strategy and represents continued progress in expanding its Eco portfolio across various sites and product lines, aiding customers in their shift towards more sustainable elastomer solutions.

Edwin Grootendorst, Global Head of Business Specialty Elastomers, said, “The Orange site is the first Therban HNBR production facility to receive ISCC PLUS certification and further strengthens the sustainability mission of ARLANXEO, as well as the Eco portfolio of the Specialty Elastomers cluster.”

Rohit Prabhune, Global Head of Business Basic Elastomers, said, “With Orange joining our existing ISCC PLUS-certified Buna sites, ARLANXEO now has ISCC+ Certified Basic Elastomers producing sites on three continents, with a truly global reach. This reinforces our commitment to providing customers with circular, mass balanced solutions that help reduce environmental impact while maintaining the performance they expect.”

Jay Capelli, Regional Head of Sales NORAM, said, “This certification helps solidify ARLANXEO’s position in the NORAM region as a premium supplier and partner – and supports the sustainability ambitions of our customers across key industries.”

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has achieved a Platinum rating from EcoVadis for its 2025 performance, placing it among the top one percent of companies assessed worldwide. The prestigious recognition evaluates business practices across four key pillars: environmental impact, ethical standards, sustainable procurement and labour and human rights. EcoVadis is recognised as one of the largest independent providers of sustainability ratings for businesses globally.

Further demonstrating its commitment to responsible operations, Orion also retained a strong B score from CDP, an international non-profit that manages a leading system for tracking corporate environmental impact. The CDP score, announced in December 2025, acknowledges Orion’s advancements in reducing climate change effects through proficient emissions management. Additionally, the company received an upgraded A rating on CDP’s Supplier Engagement Assessment, highlighting its robust governance, established targets and proactive engagement with its value chain to address scope 3 emissions.

Corning Painter, CEO, Orion S.A., said, “Achieving a Platinum rating for 2025 capped another successful year for sustainability at Orion. Among many achievements, we launched bio-circular grades of carbon black, improved energy efficiency across our operations, expanded leadership training programmes and won an industry award for safety performance at our plants. EcoVadis raises its standards every year, so maintaining our Platinum rating will require a stronger performance in 2026. But I’m confident our colleagues across the world who worked so hard to earn Platinum in 2025 will rise to that challenge again, as Orion continues to make progress on longer-term strategic sustainability goals aimed at cost-effective grades.”

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