Synthetic rubber consumption rose by 17 per cent to 36,710 tonnes in October last year while the production rose by 5 per cent to 9,006 tonnes during the period.
The country consumed 31,275 tonnes of synthetic rubber in October 2011, while the output stood at 8,592 tonnes during the same period, the Rubber Board said.
The consumption by the auto tyre industry rose by 19 per cent to 26,805 tonnes in October 2012 from 22,512 tonnes in the year-ago period.
Imports of synthetic rubber rose by 20 per cent to 29,150 tonnes from 24,343 tonnes in the period under review.
Synthetic rubber is mostly used in making tyres. It is also used in manufacturing footwear, belts, hoses and cycle tyres and tubes, among other items.
In the first seven months of this fiscal, synthetic rubber production rose marginally to 63,784 tonnes from 63,342 tonnes in April-October of 2011-12 fiscal.
The consumption of the commodity rose to 2.63 lakh tonnes in April-October of 2012-13 fiscal from 2.44 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period, whereas the auto tyre industry consumed 1.93 lakh tonnes against 1.78 lakh tonnes during the same period.
Imports of synthetic rubber, however, fell marginally to 1,97,727 tonnes in April-October this fiscal compared to 1,97,833 tonnes in the same period of 2011-12 fiscal.
The stock of synthetic rubber at the end of October 2012 stood at 48,935 tonnes.