The World Bank works in close partnership with India’s Central and State Governments, aligning its strategies with the country’s own development agenda. It lays emphasis on investing in people through better health and education, empowering communities to participate in their own development, improving the effectiveness of government, and promoting private sector-led growth to achieve the country’s development goals.

The Project was under implementation since January 1994 and closed on 30 September 2000. The achievements as at closure were commendable as more than 85,500 ha. were replanted and newly planted with high yielding clones. More than 96% of the beneficiaries under replanting and 99% in new planting were small holders owning upto 2 ha. Owing to productivity enhancement measures adopted under the project, the yield increased by 379 kg per ha. from the base yield. In general, economic status of the rubber cultivators improved in the project areas. Under the project refinance assistance of Rs. 604.57 million was provided by NABARD to banks for financing rubber growers and processors for increasing production and generating on and off-farm development through activities such as rubber planting, replanting and processing of rubber and rubber-wood activities in the traditional rubber growing states viz., Kerala, Tamil Nadu and selected non-traditional states viz., Tripura, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland. The project has since come to a close.

World Bank is presently actively appraising a loan to the Government of India for revitalization of short term credit cooperative structure (STCCS) as proposed under the recommendations of Vaidyanathan Committee. World Bank is working closely with NABARD, which is the designated project implementing agency for the revitalization of STCCS.