Even as Kerala remains the lead grower of rubber milk in the country, the southern state has of late been finding sluggish growth in the manufacture of products related to elastic substance. Against this backdrop comes the gym mat, lending fresh hope to the industry.Varied kinds of rubber mats keep hitting the market, but the health-related among them are gaining attraction. The yoga-gym mat is the chief item among them, available for domestic as well as commercial use.

When the variety product is available at costly rates, Conso in Kottayam district sells gym mates at affordable prices. The three-decade-old company at Chingavanam brings out the mat in four squares of one metre and half-a-metre. The pieces can be interlocked and have an anti-slip finish. Also producing rolling mats, the products have fluorescent paints that earn it light at night. The products are available at widths of 6, 8 and 10 mm.

“We get a lot of online enquiries; our products are in demand across the country and abroad,” says its owner Thobias. “We also produce the necessary rubber threads. ”Conso, which is run by the third generation of family-owned business, comes out with ten-odd products, the major among them being stable mats, cow mats and rubber-paving tiles. “We rely on diversification for growth,” adds Thobias. “Daily-use products merit international standards. We must not forget that domestic market is as important as international.”