DS Group to expand rubber operations in Tripura
29th March, 2010, The Hindu Business Lines

As rubber plantations in Tripura continue to flourish, DS Group plans to consolidate its rubber operations in the State.
The company, which set up a rubber thread factory under its subsidiary Abhisar Buildwell Pvt Ltd in 2006, is set to add another production line at a cost of around Rs 20 crore.
Apart from the additional line, the company has also been allotted 17 acres to set up a rubber factory.
“We are looking into various options for the new factory. Latex products, tyres and tubes seem as good options. We want to diversify into being more than a rubber thread company,” said Mr Vipul Sharma, Vice-President, Corporate Projects, Dharampal Satyapal Ltd.
“Twenty per cent of the rubber thread in the country is still imported. This shows there is a lot of scope for growth. We are targeting a turnover of Rs 70 crore in 2011-12 and in the next two years, we should be able to cross Rs 100 crore in revenue,” he added.
The new production line to be added in 2010-11 will lead to another 1,800 tonnes of capacity to the existing rubber thread plant.
According to 2007-08 figures, Tripura produces 25,000 tonnes of rubber annually, which is about five per cent of the country's total rubber produce.
“Tripura is the second largest producer of rubber in the country. It falls behind Kerala by a huge margin but one must remember that rubber trees in Kerala are reaching their maturity and more importantly, the State is moving towards becoming a tourist destination with high land cost. In such a scenario, Tripura becomes the future for rubber produce in the country,” said Mr Sharma.
DS Group sells its rubber thread under the brand name of Unitex.
The company's factory, which has the annual capacity to produce 3,600 tonnes of rubber thread, is currently running at 90-95 per cent capacity.
The country's rubber thread need is currently, 12,000 tonnes/annum.
When asked if the company plans to export its rubber thread, Mr Sharma said, “We have just started selling in the Bangladesh market but our primary focus continues to be the domestic market as there is still a lot of supply gap.”