India's domestic rubber production and demand
Natural rubber production in India reached its peak of nearly 914 thousand metric tons in 2013 due to favorable weather conditions and a sudden surge in global rubber prices in the beginning of that decade. Nonetheless, it subsequently declined owing to the excessive monsoons that disrupted the rubber-tapping process in Kerala, which is the foremost producer of natural rubber in the country. Rubber production in the country experienced a significant decline in 2016. Since then, it has seen a modest recovery, but it is still far below the 2013 peak. Furthermore, competition from Southeast Asian countries with lower production costs is fierce.Although India is a leading rubber producer, it still imports rubber from other countries to meet demand. The natural rubber deficit and its labor-intensive production led to the rise in demand for synthetic rubber. In fiscal year 2022, the production volume of synthetic rubber in India amounted to approximately 383 thousand metric tons.