Rs 145 cr iSPEED initiative to empower over 2 lakh rubber growers in Northeast

Guwahati, May 1: The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) and the Rubber Board of India have jointly launched the INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive (iSPEED), a Rs 145-crore initiative under the broader Project INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development).

The initiative was unveiled in Guwahati on Wednesday evening by ATMA Chairman Arun Mammen, who is also the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of MRF Ltd, and INROAD Chairman Pravin Tripathi. It aims to directly benefit over two lakh small rubber growers and nursery owners across the Northeast and parts of West Bengal over the next five years.

Project INROAD is the first-of-its-kind initiative globally where the tyre industry is directly contributing to the development of rubber plantations. The project is being financially supported by four major tyre companies—Apollo Tyres, Ceat, JK Tyre, and MRF—and is implemented by the Rubber Board of India.

Speaking at the launch, Mammen said, “With iSPEED, we are investing in the knowledge and capabilities of India’s rubber growers. The Indian tyre industry is proud to support a model that empowers smallholders with scientific know-how, sustainable practices, and shared infrastructure. It’s a step towards true rubber self-reliance.”

Under iSPEED, the project will address critical gaps in infrastructure and training that have hampered productivity in the region. These include a lack of access to scientific tapping techniques, poor-quality processing units, and weak disease management practices.

To address these challenges, iSPEED will facilitate the installation of 3,000 smokehouses for high-quality sheet production, 3,000 sheet rolling machines (manual and motorised), model nurseries, demonstration units, processing and grading centres, and a network of lead farmers for community-based training and knowledge transfer.

During the launch, Mammen also inaugurated several region-specific smokehouses in Tripura and Assam that were built using locally available materials. Given that most beneficiaries of the project are smallholders with landholdings of less than one acre, the project is promoting a group approach to infrastructure development, thereby fostering a sense of community and shared ownership.

INROAD Chairman Pravin Tripathi added, “With INROAD laying the foundation, iSPEED will bring the momentum. We are building rural infrastructure and skilling models that will outlast the project cycle and create sustainable value for growers.”

According to ATMA Director General Rajiv Budhraja, while the automotive tyre industry faces several challenges in setting up manufacturing units in the Northeast due to issues like limited export opportunities, inadequate local consumption markets, and logistical constraints, the availability of quality raw material is opening up new possibilities.

“There are certain disadvantages for setting up tyre units here, but with rubber now available in the region, non-tyre sectors such as footwear, conveyor belts, and e-rickshaw tyres have tremendous potential,” Budhraja said in a statement to *The Assam Tribune*.

He highlighted that tyre manufacturers in India have traditionally been concentrated in South India due to proximity to ports and major auto manufacturers. However, the quality of rubber produced in the Northeast has significantly improved, encouraging tyre companies to begin sourcing rubber from the region.

Since its inception, Project INROAD has already facilitated the plantation of rubber across 1,25,272 hectares in 94 districts of the Northeast and West Bengal. Over the past four years, 5.3 crore rubber planting materials have been distributed among resource-deprived populations, particularly those with less than one acre of land.

With the launch of iSPEED, ATMA and the Rubber Board hope to usher in a new era of sustainable rubber cultivation, higher income for farmers, and the eventual growth of allied industries in the region.