A company which started in a partnership to manufacture rubber based coating adhesives and water proofing compounds and converted it into a private company, in 1990. Around 1992, the company diversified into manufacturing rubber alloys and blends, and over the years created a niche for itself in the industry. Imperial Water Proofing Industries Pvt. Ltd, (IWI Pvt, Ltd), is the brain child of trio, Arvind Jhaveri, K.J. Jacob and Nitin Jhaveri. Today we hear from the people who has experimented, grown and done it all their life - 'manufacturing rubber'.

We got the opportunity to interact with two of the Directors, Nitin and Jacob, to know more about their products and services.
K.J. Jacob, is a Science Graduate of the fifties with Diploma in Rubber Technology. Apart from being one of the competent rubber technologist in the country, he is a good orator and equally good technical writer. He is the technical editor of magazines called, Rubber Asia and Rubber India. And Nitin Jhaveri, who is just 44 years old, is equally knowledgeable about the technicalities in the industry. His Dual Diploma in Management and Accounts, makes this science graduate one of the important entrepreneur in the Rubber industry.

About their products ........

We started manufacturing rubber alloys and blends under the brand name 'Rubaloy', in 1992, with our own technical know how. Rubaloy is the synthetic rubber, that are used in manufacturing variety of rubber products, ranging from gas pipes to cell phone, worldwide. We are extracting, moulding and building of synthetic rubber. A product similar to Rubaloy, was introduced in India by the rubber giant Nocil, who failed to market the product. Then it was remoulded and Indianised . We proudly say that, our company pioneered in marketing and manufacturing this product in India.

Comparing it with natural rubber .......

Rubaloy is the most durable raw material. It is resistant to gas and petrol, oil permission, and doesn't effect the ozone layer at all. All developed companies like Japan, Germany, America, Taiwan, are the major player in synthetic rubber. All developed countries are mainly manufacturer of synthetic rubber. Cost of Rubaloy, which is three times of natural rubber, is the only factor which is deaccelerating its growth. But compared to other countries, like America, India is giving the raw material at low price, 1.8 dollars compared to 2.5 dollars. As we are the producers of one of the finest quality of rubber, today we have clients like NASA.

On their production plant and services ....

We are the smallest industry in the rubber manufacturing sector, who work with a manpower of just 5 people. Today we have an yearly turnover of around Rs. 3.5 crore. Rubaloy is a technical product and its usage differ from industry to industry, so in order to give our consumer the best output, we provide the formulation. Today we are producing the worldclass rubber, with Indian machines worth not more than 61/2 lakhs.Considering the manufacturing scale of foreign industries, they are able to produce not more than four ranges, whereas we are having almost nine ranges down the line. For these credit goes to our decades of experience in the rubber industry.

Commenting on the industry's growth .....

With the auto industry penetrating into the Indian market, the rubber industry, also kicked off. Since 1985, the rubber industry started to grow. The auto industry consumed almost 75% of rubber produced. In 1995-96 we saw 44.5 pound rubber consumption in India, but after that, following the economic slump in the country, the rubber industry was not left behind. We hope that the auto industry, will grow and along that line even the rubber industry will improvise on its state.

Throwing light on the post budget scenario in the rubber industry.....

There has been no change in the rubber industry. For us its no gain - no loss position. We are already hit badly by the 35% anti dumping tax. The Government of India levied the anti dumping law inorder to save the small scale operators, without realizing how many small timers are there in the market. In the run players like us are badly effected.

About the threat from the Chinese inflow of products .....

Today if we are getting the same material at 40% less price, I'll definitely go for it, irrespective of the country. Products which are coming via Nepal are equally cheap, because they are not highly taxed. So the Indian consumers are getting products at throw away prices, and to give them competition is beyond impossible. But quality of Chinese products are very low, where in the long run we may gain. Presently these are all illusions.

By: Sharmistha Chakraborthy

Photographer : Vinayak Prabhu

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