The Rubber Board on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) launched INR Konnect, a digital platform to revive tapping in rubber plantations where operations have ceased by connecting plantation owners with tappers and agencies willing to undertake the work.
Launched as part of the Union government’s ‘Reforms Utsav 2026’, the initiative also aims to attract the younger generation to agriculture, particularly rubber cultivation, a major cash crop in Keralam, Rubber Board chairman N. Hari said. Presiding over the function, he said the broader objective was to involve young people in boosting the country’s rubber production.
A shortage of tapping workers and difficulties in connecting plantation owners with workers and agencies have left several rubber plantations untapped. An estimated 1.76 lakh hectares of rubber plantations across the country remain untapped. INR Konnect seeks to address this gap by bringing the stakeholders together and facilitating arrangements to resume tapping.
The application is available on the Rubber Board’s website and Google Play Store. Registration is through a mobile number, with a one-time fee of ₹100 for rubber growers and ₹1,000 for agencies. The board’s regional offices will verify the details before they are published on the platform. An integrated chat facility will allow users to discuss the terms and conditions for taking over plantations and resuming tapping operations.
Rubber Board executive director M. Vasanthagesan delivered the keynote address.
Published - October 27, 2026 05:31 pm IST