ISBN: - 978-93-88936-09-5 The above table shows that, the Sector wise Consumption of Rubber from 2004-05 to 201415. In case of tyre sector, the total rubber consumptions of NR, SR, and RR, has continuously increased from 557401 MT in 2001-02 to 1547432 MT in 2014-15, during the study period. Whereas , non-tyre sector the total consumptions rubber of NR, SR, and RR, has increased from 495559 MT in 2001-02 to 529236 MT in 2009-10, thereafter, from 523287 MT in 2010-11 to 520955 MT in 2014-15, it has been steadily fluctuating. In the total consumption, overall aggregate elasticity is relative importance to the tyre as well as the non-tyre sectors. The tyre sector was the dominant partner in the early fifties, but gradually the situation is changing in India. 3.13RUBBER CULTIVATION IN INDIA 3.13 (A)Origin of Natural Rubber in India Natural Rubber is nature most versatile vegetable product. This material has multifarious uses and there is hardly any segment of life, which does not make use of rubber based materials. Nature’s this gift is also a vital raw material having immense strategic importance. Natural rubber has a hoary past. 3.13 (B) Early commercial plantations in India In India, seeds of rubber tree were forest introduced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta by Sir Henry Wickam in 1876. The first commercial plantation of rubber, however was started by European planters who formed the “ Periyar Syndicate” in 1902 at Thattakad near Always in the east while Travancore state for the purpose. In 1904, further developments took place particularly in Central Travancore. In that year, planting of rubber was started in “yendayar”, “Eldorado” and “Mundakayam” estates. The Government of Travancore, Cochin, Madras, and Mysore encouraged rubber cultivation by granting land to the interested growers. By 1910, Mundakayam had become the leading centre of rubber plantation in India, with an area of about 4000 ha. The United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) evinced keen interest in rubber cultivation and carried out research on various aspects which helped in further development of commercial plantation. The “Malayala Manorama” a leading Malayalam news journal also played an important role in encouraging tuber plantations in Kerala. The first local joint stock company to plant rubber was floated in 1910 under the name “Malankara Rubber and Produce co., ltd. About that time, individual local farmers also began to enter the field of rubber cultivation. "Rubber Board has also been providing technical and various other financial aids to the rubber growers in the north eastern region, where 6,000 hectares of land proposed to be brought under the rubber cultivation in the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17),” 77
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