GUWAHATI: Assam has emerged as one of India's leading natural rubber-producing states, ranking third in the country after Kerala and Tripura, while also becoming home to the world's first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant developed specifically for the Northeast region.
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The twin milestones were highlighted during a press briefing organised by the Department of Commerce in Guwahati on Tuesday, June 9, where officials underscored Assam's growing role in India's rubber economy and its potential as a major hub for plantation-based exports.
The state now accounts for nearly 50,000 hectares of rubber cultivation, making it a key contributor to the growth of the sector in the Northeast.
Speaking at a press briefing organised by the Department of Commerce in Guwahation Tuesday, June 9, Rubber Board Executive Director M. Vasanthagesan highlighted the opportunities and challenges in the rubber sector and outlined efforts to expand cultivation and improve productivity to bridge India's natural rubber demand-supply gap.
He said rubber cultivation in the Northeast currently covers around 1.8 lakh hectares, of which nearly 50,000 hectares are in Assam. He also highlighted the INROAD Project, a Rubber Board initiative funded by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), which aims to develop over two lakh hectares of rubber plantations across the Northeast and West Bengal between 2021 and 2026.
The press briefing was organised to highlight key initiatives, achievements and policy interventions of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with a special focus on export opportunities in the plantation and forest products sector.
Addressing the media, Kapil Chaudhary, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, spoke on the theme “FTAs and New Opportunities with Special Focus on Plantation and Forest Products”. She highlighted the benefits of India's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the new opportunities they are creating for exporters, producers and stakeholders across the sector.
Chaudhary said India's total exports reached $863 billion in 2025-26, a significant rise from $468 billion in 2014-15, registering a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7 per cent.
In her address, Chaudhary said Assam's export basket is diversifying beyond its traditional tea sector, with products such as petroleum products, coal, pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetics and toiletries registering growing demand in international markets.