India’s natural rubber production has registered a 3.4 per cent growth in FY26 with the volumes touching 9.05 lakh tonnes from 8.75 lakh tonnes in the previous year.During the same period, consumption rose by 1.2 per cent to 14.27 lakh tonnes from 14.10 lakh tonnes.Favourable climatic conditions across major rubber-producing regions contributed to increased tapping days, sustained tapping activities and enhanced productivity. The growth in production was further supported by the sustained efforts of the Rubber Board through initiatives such as promotion of rain guarding and self-tapping, adoption of scientific agronomic practices, capacity-building and skill development programmes, and implementation of plant protection and timely disease control measures.The 29th meeting of Rubber Board Statistics Consultative Panel reviewed the performance of the Indian and global NR sector and deliberated in detail on key sectoral indicators, including type-wise production, consumption, imports, exports and related variables. India currently ranks sixth among the world’s natural rubber-producing countries.The assurance of guaranteed price under the Rubber Production Incentive Scheme (RPIS) implemented by the Kerala Government also encouraged growers to continue tapping activities.The upward trend in domestic prices renewed rubber growers’ interest in tapping activities and augment production efforts. Domestic prices, which had increased sharply during 2024-25 over the previous year, exhibited relative stability during 2025-26, indicating a moderating trend and a narrowing gap between domestic and international rubber prices. The prices in the domestic market continued to strengthen during the early months of 2026, with RSS-4 price reaching a peak of ₹262 per kg on May 14.Total NR demand in the country recorded a growth of 1.2 per cent during FY26 over the previous year. The auto tyre sector, which accounted for nearly 64 per cent of the total NR consumption, registered a decline of 4.0 per cent during the year. In contrast, the general rubber goods sector exhibited robust growth during the same period.The Panel also noted that NR import has declined by 16.7 per cent to 4.59 lakh tonnes from 5.51 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. The import of compounded rubber under HS Code 4005 registered a significant increase during 2025-26, rising to 3.49 lakh tonnes as against 2.45 lakh tonnes in the previous year.Published on May 27, 2026