KOCHI: The central government mulls an institute for excellence in rubber training to cater to the training needs of the sector, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy has said. He was speaking at a conclave organised by Automotive Tyre manufacturers Association (ATMA) recently in New Delhi.
“Rubber is an important sector of the economy. However India doesn’t have a principal institution in the country that caters to the training needs of the sector. We are trying to create an ecosystem for skilling through Sector Skill Councils. Rubber Sector council RSDC is taking care of the skilling aspects of rubber sector,” the minister said.
He invited the industry to partner with the government for an institution such as Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in case of Plastics and Footwear Design and
Development Institute (FDDI) in case of leather industry.
“The value chain of the rubber and tyre sector includes about one million natural rubber growers and about two million people working in rubber and tyre industries. There are about 6000 rubber and tyre
manufacturing units in the country (small, medium and large scale) and manufacture 35000 different rubber products besides tyre. Hence the sector requires robust skilling system,” said Raghupati Singhania, Past Chairman ATMA.