Correct Answer: (a) Panipat
Solution:The country's first artificial rubber plant was set up at Panipat (Haryana). It was founded by 'Indian Synthetic Rubber Private Limited'. Natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene, an organic compound. Rubber is a coherent elastic solid obtained from the latex of a number of tropical trees of which Hevea brasiliensis is the most important. Rubber trees have an economic life period of around 32 years in plantations.Natural rubber comes from various sources, the most common being the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). It grows well under cultivation and yields latex for several years. The vines in the genus Landolphia yield the Congo rubber. These vines cannot be grown in cultivation and this led to large-scale exploitation of the wild plants in Congo. Latex is also present in dandelion milk which can be used to produce rubber. According to the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), the USD 2-billion non-tyre rubber sector is aiming to double its exports by 2025. The global market for rubber products, which is estimated at around $212 billion is expected to grow by 2025. The government should take steps to ensure that the terms of the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) benefit the MSMEs to increase rubber exports. As MSMEs are so important to India's economy and commerce, India's should include FTAs provisions to address the special concerns, demands and barriers that MSMEs may face while doing business in foreign markets.
