India’s future in rubber production grows at Assam-Meghalaya border

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 1, 2025

 A high-level team from the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), led by chairman Arun Mammen and Rubber Board executive director M. Vasanthagesan, visited the Omega Green Solutions rubber nursery at Umshru, Jirang in Ri-Bhoi district on Tuesday. The nursery lies along the Assam-Meghalaya border and plays a strategic role in boosting domestic rubber cultivation.

ATMA, backed by major tyre companies—MRF, CEAT, Apollo, and JK Tyres—has invested in a total of Rs 1,100 crore rubber initiatives across the Northeast, excluding Sikkim. The Omega Green Solutions nursery, established in 2021 near Guwahati, is a flagship project under this initiative supervised by the Rubber Board of India.

Mammen noted that the nursery inspection in Meghalaya was part of a broader push to bring 3,000 hectares of land under rubber cultivation in the region. “We are reasonably happy with the outcome of the plants. This is not just about Meghalaya—it’s about making the entire Northeast a significant contributor to India’s rubber supply,” he said. “North-East India can probably be the leading producer of rubber in the whole country.”

Executive Director Vasanthagesan highlighted the project’s socio-economic impact. The nursery has already created jobs for hundreds of local youths and is encouraging farmers to take up rubber cultivation. “This is a transformative step for the rural economy,” he said.

Rubber saplings from Omega Green Solutions are expected to mature in about seven years, offering long-term sustainable income for local communities. The initiative is seen as a key step toward self-reliant tyre production and reducing import dependency, while potentially positioning the Northeast as India’s rubber production hub.