Like its peers, the Sri Lankan rubber industry has been hard hit by the COVID 19. However, the pandemics will bring some opportunities to the sector, believes Ravi Dadlani, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP), and MD of CEAT Kelani Holdings. “The demand for PPE is high and will be sustained in time to come until COVID 19 is no longer a pandemic. Especially gloves and other wearables made of rubber will be a good area for the Sri Lankan rubber industry to focus on,” says Dadlani an interview with Tyre Trends.

How do you see the impact of COVID 19 on Sri Lanka’s rubber industry?

Sri Lanka, like all exporting countries, have been largely impacted. The shutdown has caused a tremendous loss both in terms of production and the subsequent shut down of countries resulting in the cancellation of orders widely across the tyre industry. We are concerned that the impact fully on the industry is still to be realised. We will, once the supply chain and the related industries come back online, be able to quantify the extent of the impact. We are however positive that the Sri Lanka rubber industry is poised to benefit from the need arising from the COVID 19 impact. Especially the demand for PPE is high and will be sustained in time to come until COVID 19 is no longer a pandemic. Especially gloves and other wearables made of rubber will be a good area for the Sri Lankan rubber industry to focus on. Also, the government suspension of importing of tyres is poised to increase demand for domestic manufacturers of tyres at least in the short term, which will be a boost to the local rubber industry. Impact on the loss of exports and the timings of the opening of overseas markets would be critical at this point. 

The rubber industry has always been the country’s one of the main sectors and exporters. Do you think that the industry currently is being explored to its fullest potential?

There is a lot of potential for rubber in Sri Lanka. The need to increase the production of rubber through productivity improvements and the need to extend the rubber growing acreage is critical at this time. We have leading manufacturers of international repute and strong local manufacturers catering to export markets both in the tyre and gloves segments. 

The country also has the potential to enter new markets and customer segments with new products. There is more that needs to be done in terms of R&D and technological collaborations to enter high-value rubber-based product segments. With major global brands producing in Sri Lanka, we have a greater ability to increase trading activity and improve international sales as a regional hub for the industry.

What kind of support do you expect from the government and industry-related bodies for the long term?

Firstly, the rubber sector was the first to benefit from the priority given by the government initiative to commence operations. The sector benefited by the fast track approval to be classified as an essential sector. We expect the government to continue to have consistency when it comes to policy matters. We are also seeing a strong support base coming in terms of the Board of Investment and the Export Development Board for the rubber cluster. We need to fast track the planned policy-based approach of increasing rubber production in the country through the rubber master plan, with incentives if need be for plantations to spearhead this initiative. Also, research and development on rubber yield increase, all-weather rubber tapping techniques need to be introduced with governments thrust towards increasing rubber production.

There should also be incentives for exporters to invest in high-value rubber product manufacturing. We expect the government to educate the smallholders with international best practices to manage the rubber crop for better yield and output through RDD & RRI as key government institutions. The industry prefers to buy more local rubber, but there is a shortfall every year vs the demand. We also need to drive the public-private partnership research & development and must invest more in laboratory and testing facilities to provide certifications that are required for the export markets within Sri Lanka. The Government will also need to look at domestic supply chain inefficiencies which may hold back on the growth potential of the industry.

When we talk about tyres, how does the Sri Lankan tyre industry make its mark globally, especially in the solid tyre segment?

Absolutely it does. Sri Lanka is considered market leaders in certain categories of the solid tyre export segment. There are the numbers of global and local companies operating out of Sri Lanka holding a good foothold in the global solid tyre market. The global rubber industry is worth around USD 400 billion, out of which 65% is the tyre industry, given this, we have a market that we can increase our supply of both off road and on-road tyres, Sri Lanka has aggressively ventured into the global pneumatic agriculture, Off-road and industrial tyre segment which is estimated at USD 44b. We are confident that this position of strength will be maintained in the future, too in these segments. 

What are the challenges for tyre and rubber goods, especially for small and medium enterprises?

Key is the availability of rubber at consistent prices at the right quantities throughout the year. Currently, the industry is hampered with weather-related shortfalls in production coupled with plantations moving away from rubber and more profitable ventures depleting the total output. We consume 140,000 MT, and the local production is at 75,000 MT. Addressing these two areas will result in a stable supply of rubber for industries. It is very important that SMEs adopt technology and increase productivity and production to cater to the demand for rubber. 

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Birla Carbon, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality carbon materials, and Kennesaw State University (KSU) have expanded their enduring partnership with the launch of Birla Carbon India Study Abroad Program in January 2026. This programme, backed by a USD 184,000 contribution from the carbon materials manufacturer, will send undergraduate students from KSU’s College of Science and Mathematics to India for collaborative research. Participants will first develop their projects during the spring semester at KSU before travelling to the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) in Goa for summer work alongside local faculty and peers.

This endeavour builds upon nearly a decade of collaboration, which since 2014 has funded research opportunities for over 110 KSU students as Birla Carbon Scholars. In its inaugural year, the programme will facilitate hands-on research for up to 12 students, marking a significant evolution in the longstanding alliance between the university and the global company. The initiative is designed to provide immersive, cross-cultural scientific training, equipping students with global perspectives and advanced research skills crucial for their future careers in science and technology.

Sharing his thoughts about the program, Terence Norman, HR Head, Americas, Birla Carbon, said, “Birla Carbon is now in its 15th year of partnership with Kennesaw State University overall, and over the years, we have seen phenomenal growth and development opportunities for the students here in the College of Science and Mathematics. Our ongoing commitment is driven by a genuine belief in making a positive impact not only for the students who participate in this programme but also for the impact their solutions can have across major industries and society at large. Fifteen years mark not just a partnership but a shared journey of growth and discovery. Birla Carbon’s purpose is to ‘Share the Strength’, and Kennesaw State gives us an opportunity to do that first-hand.”

Kadian Callahan, Associate Dean for Student Success and Community Engagement, KSU – College of Science and Mathematics, said, “We’re excited to partner with Birla Carbon to bring this opportunity to our students. The college’s focus is on providing quality undergraduate research experience to students, and this programme allows students to take their work beyond campus and into an international research setting. Students can begin their research at Kennesaw State and continue it at BITS in India, working closely with faculty and peers at both institutions. That continuity strengthens their projects and creates opportunities for shared publications with KSU and BITS faculty and students.”

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Bekaert has achieved an industry milestone with Dramix Loop, its most sustainable steel fibre. This product is the first in its sector to be manufactured industrially using steel reclaimed from end-of-life tyres, creating a new benchmark for circular construction. It directly tackles a significant circularity challenge within the tyre industry by transforming discarded tyre cords into a high-performance resource. This innovative approach preserves the material’s inherent tensile strength while bypassing carbon-intensive reprocessing, resulting in a near-zero carbon footprint with an exceptionally low Global Warming Potential of only 0.0436 kg CO₂eq per kg.

The launch reinforces the longstanding leadership of the Dramix brand, which already offers concrete reinforcement solutions that substantially reduce material use and CO₂ emissions. Dramix Loop further advances this legacy, providing fibres with very low contamination and high tensile strength suitable for diverse applications, including industrial flooring, precast elements and ultra-high-performance concrete. Beyond performance, it supports major sustainability frameworks like LEED and BREEAM, aids in compliance with the EU Taxonomy and helps companies reduce their Scope 3 emissions, thereby assisting owners and developers in meeting critical environmental, social, and governance objectives.

Eric Peeters, Divisional CEO Sustainable Construction, said, “Just like our other Dramix products, Dramix Loop ticks all the boxes: safe, smart and sustainable. It’s less labour-intensive, reduces CO₂ up to 80 percent compared to traditional reinforcement and leverages our structural design capabilities. And the circular aspect adds even more value, because with end-of-life steel, the carbon footprint is close to zero.”

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Dunlop has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cabot Corporation to evaluate the commercial use of circular reinforcing carbon made from regenerated material derived from end-of-life tyres, as tyre makers seek to cut emissions and increase the use of sustainable raw materials.

The agreement brings together Dunlop’s parent, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, and Cabot Corporation to assess whether Cabot’s regenerated carbon technology can be deployed in mass-produced tyres.

Under the memorandum, Sumitomo Rubber will test Cabot’s circular reinforcing carbon — which incorporates reclaimed carbon recovered through the pyrolysis of used tyres — as a potential alternative raw material in tyre manufacturing. The material has not previously been used by the Japanese group in commercial tyre production.

Cabot, which supplies reinforcing carbons to the tyre industry, will in parallel examine how its regenerated carbon technology could be scaled to meet potential market demand if the material is approved for wider adoption.

“This innovative circular reinforcing carbon will be evaluated for mass-produced tyres, and we will accelerate efforts towards its commercialisation through collaboration with Cabot,” said Takuya Horiguchi, General Manager at Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ material research and development headquarters. He said the partnership would help speed progress towards decarbonisation by combining the technical capabilities of both companies.

Aatif Misbah, Vice-President and General Manager of sustainable solutions at Cabot, said the company was committed to investing in technologies that improved both sustainability and product performance. He added that the agreement aligned with Cabot’s goal of supporting a lower-carbon future for the tyre industry.

The collaboration forms part of Sumitomo Rubber’s broader circular economy strategy for its tyre business, known as “TOWANOWA”. The initiative combines a “sustainable ring”, covering processes across the value chain, with a “data ring” that integrates and shares data collected from each stage of production and use.

Sumitomo Rubber said it would continue to pursue the TOWANOWA strategy by reducing its environmental impact while improving tyre performance and safety, with the aim of delivering new value to customers as the industry transitions towards more sustainable manufacturing practices.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has successfully secured the prestigious ISCC – the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification for its manufacturing facility located in Qingdao, China. This significant achievement is the direct result of a rigorous, independent audit process which validated that the plant’s operations fully comply with the comprehensive sustainability criteria established by ISCC.

The certification serves as a formal verification of both the transparency and the complete traceability of the sustainable raw materials integrated into the facility’s production value chain. This milestone is a key component of Orion’s overarching corporate strategy to implement and enhance sustainable practices throughout its international operations.

By achieving this globally recognised standard, the company reinforces its commitment to supplying clients with high-performance carbon black and other speciality chemical products that adhere to leading international environmental and sustainability benchmarks, thereby supporting customer goals for more responsible manufacturing.

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