The Rubber Board has launched an educational video series aimed at enhancing skills and improving quality standards in natural rubber processing, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The videos were formally launched by M. Vasanthagesan, Executive Director, Rubber Board, in the presence of Siju T. Nair, Rubber Production Commissioner.
From Project INROAD to iSPEED
BusinessLine reported that with rubber plantation activities under Project INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) in Northeast India nearing completion, the next phase of development has gathered momentum under iSPEED (INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive), with a focus on enhancing the productivity and quality of natural rubber through skill development and modern infrastructure.
The ₹150-crore iSPEED programme aims to strengthen the natural rubber sector by improving the skills of nearly three lakh rubber growers across the Northeast. It will provide structured training while supporting the establishment of modern processing infrastructure, including rubber sheeting machines and scientifically designed smokehouses, to improve the quality and value of natural rubber produced in the region.
Five video modules, four languages
As part of this effort, the educational videos cover five critical aspects of natural rubber processing:
- Rubber Tapping
- Rain Guarding
- Grading
- Rubber Sheet Making
- Scientific Smokehouses
Produced in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and Malayalam, the videos are intended to facilitate wider outreach among rubber growers and stakeholders across the natural rubber ecosystem, according to BusinessLine.
Mohan Kurian, Chairman INROAD Project, said: "Skill development and adoption of scientific practices are essential for improving both productivity and quality in the natural rubber sector. These multilingual videos will serve as an effective training resource for growers and complement the Rubber Board's ongoing extension efforts across the country."
Developed over the last one year, the videos were produced with technical support from the Rubber Board and the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII). The modules combine animation with real-life field demonstrations, making scientific processing practices easy to understand and adopt.
Tyre industry partnership behind INROAD
Project INROAD is a unique partnership between the Indian tyre industry and the Rubber Board of India. The project has facilitated nearly 1.8 lakh hectares of new natural rubber plantations across 113 districts in the Northeast India over the last five years, making it the largest rubber plantation development programme undertaken in the country.
"The objective of the participating member companies under INROAD is to ensure that natural rubber growers benefit the most from a stronger natural rubber value chain. By improving productivity and quality, we aim to help farmers realize better returns while strengthening the sustainability of the entire ecosystem." — Sanjiv Saxena, Convener, ATMA Supply Chain & Resources (SCR) Group
iSPEED at a glance
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | iSPEED (INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive) |
| Investment | ₹150 crore |
| Grower target | Nearly 3 lakh rubber growers across Northeast India |
| Focus | Productivity and quality of natural rubber |
| Infrastructure support | Rubber sheeting machines, scientifically designed smokehouses |
| Video languages | Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam |
| Video modules | Rubber Tapping, Rain Guarding, Grading, Rubber Sheet Making, Scientific Smokehouses |
Positioning for the natural rubber value chain
The video launch complements the Rubber Board's ongoing extension efforts and is designed to give growers a structured training resource as INROAD's plantation development phase winds down, BusinessLine reported. With participating tyre-industry member companies seeking to ensure that growers benefit from a stronger natural rubber value chain, the iSPEED push on skilling and modern processing infrastructure is intended to help farmers realize better returns while strengthening the sustainability of the entire ecosystem, according to Saxena. The article was published on August 5, 2026.
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