PERSONALITIES WHO SHAPED PRI / IRI

PERSONALITIES WHO SHAPED PRI / IRI 

History of Indian Rubber Institute is interesting and worth studying. Tracing back from 1940s through all these decades IRI has gone through transformation and widened activity throughout the country and today is one of the major voluntary organization in the field of Rubber Chemistry and Technology. 

Dr. D. Banerjee was the pioneer who initiated IRI in India after returning from UK doing his PhD in Rubber field from London University in 1939. At the time it was known as Plastic and Rubber Institute (PRI) UK, which later separated from the Plastic and made two different institute. India was the biggest branch of the PRI, UK in the world having largest number of members. Dr. Banerjee’s effort to widen PRI branch activity led it to the national organization with branches at the four major metropolis, namely Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Delhi. Later different Centers under these branches started functioning which ultimately became independent branch in subsequent years. IRI has been functioning from eight branches at Chennai, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Rajasthan. 

Indian Rubber Institute has gone through series of ups and downs over the decades, activities was at very high level at the initial decades which over the period have gone through different problems and often experienced organizational matter causing IRI activity at very low ebb . Initially, among the branches, Calcutta was in the forefront with major activities and subsequently this spread over to other branches which also started with increased program.

Dr. Banerjee, who was MD of Incheck Tyre and NRM, left the organization and started his own consultancy organization in the name of Escon Consultants (early 1980s). PRI followed by IRI activities continued from this Escon for a long period.

I was introduced to PRI early 1960s as PhD student at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta registered under Calcutta University under the CSIR scheme of Dr. D Banerjee. Subsequently I proceeded to Germany and my link with PRI was disrupted till I returned back. 

In 1960s Calcutta branch was the most active Centre. Under the guidance of Dr. D Banerjee many program used to take place. People like Mr.D. Bose of BWW, Dr. Anil K. Sircar of NRM, Dr. Sanjay Ray of ICI and Mr. P.K. Bhattacharya, Regional Manager of Synthetics & Chemicals, as Hon. Secretary, were active those days. 

On return to India in the early 1971 from Bayer AG, Germany, as Technical Manager of Bayer India Ltd., again got involved actively with PRI in Bombay, later as Honorary secretary for few years. Before that Dr. A. S. Ghag of Monsanto was the secretary, and it was a changeover with the Chairmanship of Mr. Vijay Makar of Oriental Rubber. This was an active period for PRI Bombay and many senior people were available at that time, like Mr. Manu Patel and Mr. N. M. Rege (from S & C), Mr. R. R. Pandit (Bayer) besides other people like Mr. Lalit Mohan Jamnadas, Mr. K. M. Phillip, Mr. B. B. Sangtani, Mr. D. S. Kulkarni (who published a journal “Rubber News”, quite popular at that time) who extended support to the cause of PRI. Synthetics & Chemicals had their Technical Service Laboratory in Bombay, extended facility to conduct regular educational classes for the PRI students for LPRI examination, which was those days conducted from UK. Exam papers used to come from London, and we conducted the examination at VJTI for Bombay center and the answer books were sent back to UK for evaluation who declared results from UK. Many Indian students stood first in the world. 

Early 1980s I shifted to North, joined Modi Rubber Ltd. as Technical Manager, the then leading most tire company of the country, situated at Modipuram near Meerut, approximately 80 km from Delhi. At that time PRI Delhi was a family affair and the activities were missing. Mr D. Seth, Regional Manager, Synthetics & Chemicals was in Delhi and approached me with the plan to activate PRI Delhi and asked for my cooperation Mr. Seth was a dynamic person with wide contact in rubber industry throughout the zone and was eager to start and take up the Secretariat working from his Delhi office. We clicked well and approached the Council at Calcutta to conduct election of PRI Delhi which was not held for long. Seeing the situation, the family group withdrew and thus came in the professionals to run and activate the Delhi PRI from the limbo. 

After this PRI Delhi became the jewel in the crown of PRI Council, carrying out series of activities, conducting classes covering even outside Delhi area (Punjab, UP) which became quite popular. Many younger people came forward to take classes and the training courses ran smoothly. Also, Seminars were organized at regular interval. All these years the activities were conducted, and the Secretariat was at the office of Mr D. Seth, who was the Hon. Secretary and managed the whole affair from Delhi as I was still at Meerut and used to come frequently to Delhi and meet him. Mr. D. Seth’s contribution for the revival of Delhi branch is well recognized. PRI did not have own Office, whether for the Council at Calcutta or at any branches throughout the country and the activities were all from the offices of the Secretary of that branch. 

Then sub-branches of four major branches started to be established like Rajasthan sub-branch under Delhi branch, Pune and Gujarat sub-branch under Bombay branch, Kerala sub-branch under South (Madras) branch. These sub-branches over the time developed and were converted to branch. Thus, India had eight branches of PRI / IRI. 

Dr. Ranjit Mathan, Mr. K.J. Janakar. Mr. Zacheria George, Mr. P. K. Mohammad, Dr. Arup Chandra from Madras / Chennai branch and Dr. E.V. Thomas, Dr. N. M. Mathew from Kerala branch were active and contributed substantially to the functioning of PRI / IRI. 

Then came the move to have National Institute and severe the link from UK which lead to the formation of the Indian Rubber Institute. This was a great move in the history of the Rubber Institute. DIRI Course was conducted with the help Rubber Technology Center of IIT, Kharagpur which carried high value to the Diploma. 

Next big push in the history of IRI came after holding of the first ever IRCO Conference in Delhi in 1993 under the Chairmanship (D. S. N. Chakravarty) of Delhi branch which led to substantial collection of funds and for the first time in the history of IRI, it’s own office was purchased and established for Delhi branch. IRI became the member of IRCO for the first time in 1989 at the Harrogate, UK meeting which was represented by Dr. S. N. Chakravarty on behalf of IRI and the approval of holding IRCO conference was achieved. Dr. S. N. Chakravarty continued to represent IRI at IRCO meetings and IRCO international conference in different countries for more than a decade. 

This action of collection of funds for the establishment of different branch offices was followed subsequently and National and International conferences were held at different branches which led to the establishment of own offices at these branches. Unfortunately, activities of Calcutta branch was at a very low level and thus could not establish Council’s own office. 

From 21st Century many younger people became active in the functioning of IRI which gave big push to the purpose and functioning of the Indian Rubber institute. Mysore sub-branch was quite active because of the dynamic Secretary Mr. Vasudev. 

IRI made great strides in the first two decades of the 21st centuries under the guidance of few dedicated people like Dr. R. Mukhopadhyay, Mr. P. K. Chatterjee, Mr. Om Asija, Mr. S. Swaroop, Mr. P. K. Mohamed, Dr. Arup Chandra, Mr. Mehul Patel and other associates who have made substantial contribution to the progress of IRI. Recently Dr. D. Banerjee Centre for IRI was established in Mysuru primarily with the effort of Dr. R. Mukhopadhyay. Unfortunately, only South branches – Chennai / Mysuru are active. Little activity with the North and East branches. 

Under the guidance of Indian Rubber Institute two major steps were taken in 2002 at New Delhi meeting, namely Asian Rubber Institute and Asian Rubber Forum with the membership of representative from Japan (Dr. Kohjiya Shinzo, Kyoto University), Nepal (Mr. K. M. Dixit, Chairman, Gorakhali Rubber Udyog), South Korea (Prof. Chang-Sik Ha, Pusan National University), Sri Lanka (Dr. Tillekeratne, RRI, Sri Lanka & Mr. Rajapaksha), China (Prof. Lu Baling, Inst. Rubber Chemical Industry & Engg. Soc. of China). This was a great move which unfortunately was not pursued in subsequently by the IRI Committee resulting diluting whole matter.