The production and availability of natural rubber in India is facing huge disruption, despite a constant price hike, small-scale players are under the threat of extinction on the back of several factors. In fact, the All Kerala Small Scale Tread Rubber Manufacturers’ Association increased the price of tread rubber and allied products by INR 12 per kg on the back of hike raw material prices and overhead expenses. But this too seems to be a not a sustainable measure.

In a conversation with Tyre Trends, P P Subair, President, of All Kerala Small Scale Tread Rubber Manufacturers’ Association states that the prices of rubber are going up by almost INR 3-4 per kg daily. It is becoming so dynamic that the prices keep varying throughout the day.

This, he attributes, is on the back of several factors, which include the availability of natural rubber becoming scarce on the back of adverse weather conditions (heavy rain); then there is the reduction in imports due to the non-availability of containers from Thailand and other countries.

Furthermore, the reduction in the availability of labourers, especially in the key state of Kerala where only 30 percent labourers are available (compared to demand) for rubber taping. According to Subair, almost 80 percent of the natural rubber production in India happens in Kerala, with the rest of India including Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states contributing the remaining 20 percent.

“The young generation is not interested in working in this profession, even if people from other states are called for working on rubber tapping, it will still take a couple of months for them to be efficient,” shares Subair. This has also resulted in a significant number of players shutting shop. In fact, Subair states the number of members in the All Kerala Small Scale Tread Rubber Manufacturers’ Association has come down from 1,000 to 300.

He explains that as on 8 August 2024, the price of tread rubber is around INR 250 per kg, yet there is no availability for the raw material.

“Everybody is searching for rubber sheets, but the same problem exists in other states also.”

He claims that at present 75 percent of tread manufacturers are from Kerala, while the remaining are based in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and a few other places. While there are some other states in Northeast India, the quality is not similar, as well as the available quantity is very limited in comparison to the demand in the country.

Subair expects that there may be some relief in the next 2-3 months, in addition to the relief post-monsoon.

But he also expresses concern about the existential crisis looming across the country for the small-scale industry.

“All over India, the small-scale players are suffering in the tread rubber sector. In addition to the challenges, the removal of exemptions for small-scale players in the taxation bracket, we are now faced with 18 percent GST which has impacted the financial health of many players. This has led to wafer-thin to almost no margins for businesses. It has become very difficult to grow or expand one’s business,” he shares.

Then there is the indirect impact due to the crude oil prices on the back of geo-political reasons.

Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value biobased products derived from by-products of pine wood pulping, has received an International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification for its manufacturing facility in Niort, France.

Kraton can now supply 100 percent ISCC PLUS-certified AMS and AMS Phenolics resins using a mass balance attribution approach thanks to the certification. Kraton's dedication to promoting the biobased and circular economy is further demonstrated by the Niort facility's accreditation. Kraton is committed to lowering carbon emissions and accelerating the shift to a more sustainable future by empowering clients to include more environmentally friendly products into their supply chains.

An independent multi-stakeholder project, the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is a leading certification method that guarantees accurate mass-balancing bookkeeping and reporting of renewable and recycled materials across the supply chain.

Lana Culbert, Kraton Pine Chemicals VP of Marketing, said, “Our SYLVARES™ and SYLVATRAXX™ brands feature a range of high-performance AMS and AMS Phenolics resins used in speciality adhesives and tyre applications. Our ISCC PLUS journey began in 2021 with the certification of our Sandarne, Sweden facility. Earning this certification for our Niort plant marks a significant milestone, further expanding our portfolio of sustainable solutions.”

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has said that it has clarified the process of rubber breakdown, a crucial element that affects tyre longevity, through joint research with Professor Gert Heinrich at Dresden University of Technology (Saxony State, Germany).

In a special session called ‘Combining Physics, Chemistry & Engineering of Rubber: A Symposium in Honor of Charles Goodyear Medalist Gert Heinrich’, which was held in honour of the Professor's medal-winning achievement, the findings were presented in an invited talk at the American Chemical Society, Rubber division, ACS 2025 Spring Technical Meeting held in Orlando, Florida, US, on 6 and 7 March. Professor Heinrich is a member of the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, which took part in the collaborative effort.

Tyre durability is determined by cracking processes, which result in the development of cracks and rips in a rubber substance. The endurance of rubber was previously mostly assessed using tearing tests, but there were still numerous unanswered concerns regarding the microscale structural alterations at the crack tip. This effort identified a factor that determines the start and propagation of cracks in rubber by analysing the force applied to a fracture tip using a simulation approach. In rubber, a crack tip undergoes dilatation deformation to create voids, or microvoids within the item. The fracture gets worse as the voids expand and come together. It was also discovered that the tension focused on the fracture tip is lessened when voids emerge.

The German Rubber Industry Association (Wdk) is advocating for a thorough and legally enforceable regulation of the end-of-waste status for Germany and the whole of Europe. The association is pusing for the circular economy to be strengthened for tyres.

Valuable secondary raw materials are still legally regarded as waste since there are no consistent standards for the end-of-waste status, according to Stephan Rau, Technical Director of the WDW. This restricts the market integration of sustainable recycled materials, impedes investments and creates legal uncertainties. “We call for a comprehensive and binding end-of-waste regulation for Germany and the whole of Europe to strengthen the recycling sector, facilitate investment in modern technologies, and sustainably reduce the CO₂ footprint of the rubber and tire industry,” he said.

In order to adhere to the prescribed waste hierarchy and stop illicit exports, Rau also emphasised that lawmakers must quantitatively and openly document waste tyre flows. He added that waste tyres should only be gathered by approved disposal companies and pre-sorted based on their intended use.

On the important role of mechanically recycled tyre granules and powder, Rau said, "This is an important secondary raw material that is already used in a variety of durable and safe products. A clearly defined end to its waste status must be made more economically viable. To ensure the market success of tyre granules, a risk-based approach to assessing chemical ingredients is essential. Binding limit values ​​must be assessed using a migration analysis, i.e. based on their bioavailability. Second, the use of tyre granule products must become mandatory in the construction industry and infrastructure projects. The goal is clear: Recycling must be economically viable."

Kuraray, a global speciality chemicals company and one of the largest suppliers of industrial polymers and synthetic microfibres, has received ISCC PLUS certification for its thermoplastic elastomers SEPTON and HYBRAR as well as Liquid Rubber produced at the Company’s Kashima Plant at Ibaraki Prefecture.

ISCC PLUS makes sure that certified products, such biomass and recycled raw materials, are appropriately handled throughout their supply chains, including the manufacturing process, by applying the mass-balance technique.

In the five years preceding up to its centenary in 2026, Kuraray is carrying out its medium-term management strategy, PASSION 2026. In order to achieve the long-term Kuraray Vision 2026 of being a speciality chemical company that grows sustainably by integrating new foundational platforms into its own technologies and contributing to customers, society and the planet, the company will keep growing its range of products that improve the natural and living environments.