Project INROAD Crosses 1.80 Lakh Hectares, Marks Record NR Expansion in North-East
Backed by Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF, Project INROAD has planted natural rubber across 1,79,376 hectares in 113 North-Eastern districts in five years — the fastest such expansion in Indian history.
The short answer
Project INROAD, launched in FY 2021–22, has achieved 90 per cent of its 2-lakh-hectare natural rubber plantation target across North-East India, covering 1,79,376 hectares across 113 districts. The initiative — jointly financed by Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF, and implemented by the Rubber Board of India — has distributed 8.3 crore quality planting materials and benefited over 2 lakh farmers. A new phase, iSPEED, is now underway to build post-planting infrastructure and train rubber growers at scale.
The milestone
Five Years, 1.80 Lakh Hectares — A First for Indian Rubber
Launched in FY 2021–22, Project INROAD has established 1,79,376 hectares of new natural rubber plantations across 113 districts in North-East India — representing 90 per cent of its 2-lakh-hectare, five-year target. The Rubber Board of India, which implements the project, describes this as the fastest rubber plantation expansion ever recorded in the country within a comparable timeframe.
The project is equally distinctive for its financing model: four of India's largest tyre manufacturers — Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF — are directly funding plantation development upstream, making INROAD a first-of-its-kind public-private initiative globally in the natural rubber sector. The project has operated across some of the most remote and resource-constrained geographies in the country, with a deliberate focus on small and marginal farmers — most holding less than one hectare of land.
Farmer reach
Over 2 Lakh Beneficiaries, 8.3 Crore Saplings Distributed
Beyond raw acreage, INROAD's social footprint has been substantial. The project has benefited more than 2 lakh farmers, improving livelihoods and contributing to the socio-economic development of communities across the designated North-Eastern states.
A record 8.3 crore quality planting materials have been distributed over the project's lifetime, channelled through a rejuvenated network of over 200 nurseries now operational in the region. These nurseries are supplying improved rubber clones specifically selected for the agro-climatic conditions of the North-East — a critical upgrade from older, lower-yielding varieties.
The initiative's reach into Covid-affected geographies during its early years — when supply chains and field operations were severely constrained — makes the 90 per cent target achievement all the more notable, according to project leadership.
Beyond plantation expansion, the project has also made significant progress in strengthening local nurseries and building grower capacities — a testament to the collaborative efforts of the tyre industry and the Rubber Board.
Nursery infra
Strengthening the Supply Chain from the Ground Up
One of INROAD's less visible but structurally important contributions has been the revival of nursery infrastructure across the North-East. Prior to the project, the region's nursery network was fragmented and largely unable to meet demand for quality planting stock at scale.
More than 200 nurseries are now actively distributing high-yielding planting material to growers, creating a durable supply chain for future rubber cultivation in the region. The introduction of new and improved rubber clones — better adapted to local soil and rainfall patterns — through these nurseries is expected to raise long-term productivity.
This nursery strengthening component, combined with grower capacity-building efforts, reflects a broader ambition: not just to plant rubber, but to ensure that what is planted is high-yielding, well-tended, and ultimately commercially viable for both farmers and the tyre industry that depends on domestic supply.
Next phase
iSPEED Initiative Targets Quality, Skilling, and Post-Harvest Value
With the plantation phase nearing completion, INROAD is transitioning to its next strategic component: the iSPEED (INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive) initiative. The focus now shifts from planting to productivity and post-harvest quality.
Under iSPEED, the project is developing model smokehouses and related processing infrastructure to improve the quality of raw rubber produced at the farm level — a critical factor in determining the price farmers receive and the usability of domestic rubber for tyre manufacturers.
A large-scale training and education drive is also being planned through a blend of digital and in-person contact programmes. New training materials developed for this purpose are ready for release. If executed effectively, iSPEED could bridge the gap between field-level rubber production and the quality standards demanded by India's industrial consumers — completing the value chain that INROAD set out to build.
Why it matters
India's tyre industry depends heavily on natural rubber imports to bridge the domestic supply gap, making North-East plantation expansion a strategic priority for supply chain resilience. INROAD's model — where end-users directly finance upstream raw material development — is a blueprint that other agri-commodity sectors could replicate. With plantations now maturing, the success of the iSPEED skilling and infrastructure initiative will determine whether higher yields and better-quality rubber actually flow back to domestic processors. Policymakers and agri-businesses should watch whether the 2-lakh-hectare target is fully achieved, and track how iSPEED converts plantation coverage into tangible farm income.
Frequently asked
- What is Project INROAD and who finances it?
- Project INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) is a natural rubber plantation expansion initiative launched in FY 2021–22. It is financed by four major Indian tyre companies — Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF — and implemented by the Rubber Board of India across North-East India.
- How much of the plantation target has INROAD achieved so far?
- As of the five-year mark, INROAD has created 1,79,376 hectares of new natural rubber plantations, representing 90 per cent of its original target of 2 lakh hectares across 113 districts in North-East India.
- How many farmers have benefited from Project INROAD?
- The project has benefited over 2 lakh farmers, with a special focus on small and marginal farmers who mostly hold less than one hectare of land. A record 8.3 crore quality planting materials have been distributed over the project's duration.
- What is the iSPEED initiative under Project INROAD?
- iSPEED stands for INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive. It is the next phase of the project, focused on building post-planting infrastructure such as model smokehouses and delivering large-scale digital and in-person training programmes to improve rubber quality and farm-level productivity.
Source
This report summarises and analyses coverage from The Hindu BusinessLine — Agri Business. The analysis and India context are IndianAgri's own.