India's second rubber park in Tripura

Agartala, Dec 10: The Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC) will soon set up India's second rubber-based industrial park in the state in collaboration with the Rubber Board of India.

Talking to the sources here today, TIDC Chairman Pabitra Kar said, ''After Irapuram in Kerala, Bodhjungnagar Industrial Estate, near here, will be the next industrial cluster for rubber based products.'' ''It will also boost the rubber production and enhance the prospect of revolution in the elastic polymer industry,'' he added.

Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), a leading project management agency, had been entrusted with the project, where at least 20 rubber-based industrial projects would be set up within the next three years.

The proposed park would be built on 50 acres of land with an investment of Rs seven crore and about Rs 500 million in infrastucture, Mr Kar said adding that the state is the second largest rubber producer in the country after Kerala with 35,760 hectare lands under cultivation.

Besides, a rubber product development and display centre along with a rubber museum would be set up.

The current production of rubber in the state was estimated to be at 20,000 tonnes annually, valued at around Rs 1.80 billion and the state has a potential to increase the production of rubber to 90,000 tonnes per year.

There are over 50,000 rubber and latex-based down stream products that have a huge domestic and international market potential and the park would provide the platform and impetus for the growth of the downstream rubber industry, Mr K K Raghavan, Joint Production Commissioner of Rubber Board, said.

The state government had established a 'Rubber Mission' with the objective of systematically expanding 85,074 more hectares under rubber cultivation in the state for ensuring socio-economic and industrial growth.

UNI