Rubber Board's Electronic Trading Platform mRube Crosses ₹1,000 Crore in Turnover

NEW DELHI — mRube, the electronic trading platform developed by the Rubber Board, has crossed a significant milestone by recording a total turnover of over ₹1,000 crore since its inception in June 2022. The platform has facilitated the trade of 59,538 tonnes of natural rubber, encompassing major grades and forms such as Ribbed Smoked Sheets (RSS), Indian Standard Natural Rubber (ISNR), and latex.

During the 2025-26 period, the electronic marketplace recorded a trade volume of 15,647 tonnes, valued at approximately ₹287 crore. In the ongoing financial year of 2026-27, the platform has so far mediated the trade of 6,947 tonnes, worth ₹171 crore.

Binoy Kurien, Deputy Director of Marketing at the Rubber Board, noted that the platform has extended benefits to stakeholders across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and northern states. The digital infrastructure allows dealers, sellers, processors, and buyers to transact beyond their traditional geographic boundaries. Sellers gain access to a wider national buyer pool, while buyers can source rubber from multiple producing regions and evaluate competing offers, leading to enhanced market transparency and price discovery.

A central feature of the mRube platform is its electronic contract mechanism, which formally documents agreed quantities, pricing, and transaction conditions. Officials note this digital documentation minimizes the uncertainties typically associated with conventional oral agreements, particularly during periods of sharp volatility in rubber prices.

The operational impact of the platform has been particularly notable in the Northeast region, notably in Tripura. Due to geographical distance and restricted local buyer networks, rubber trade in the region faced historical constraints. Through mRube, major consumers and dealers are now able to source rubber directly from Tripura without needing to establish physical offices or station personnel locally.

The continued participation of stakeholders from both producing and consuming regions demonstrates the platform's capacity to integrate geographically fragmented rubber markets. This digital integration aims to foster a more transparent, efficient, and nationally unified natural rubber marketing ecosystem.

"The growth of mRube demonstrates how digital marketplaces can effectively bridge geographical gaps in traditional agricultural and commodity sectors. By replacing informal oral agreements with structured electronic contracts and enabling direct market access, platforms like this bring much-needed transparency, secure transactions, and reliable price discovery to regional producers and national buyers alike." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes