Beijing, Sept 04: India is eyeing China's booming construction and furniture market to export rubber wood, an eco-friendly alternative to solid wood that is gaining popularity world-wide, official sources said here today. "We are seriously looking at adding China to our export market in addition to the United States, Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom and the Middle East," N Rajagopal, a rubber board official, who is heading the delegation which participated in the 'international exhibition on furniture world and wood working machinery, China 2003', said.

The rubber board, which ventured into China for the first time to participate in the four-day exhibition which concluded here today, received "very good" market response, he said, adding China could be one of the biggest markets for Indian rubber wood, a plantation timber. "We have received 37 serious inquires from Chinese firms for rubber wood," Rajagopal, an official with the Department of Processing and Product Development of the Rubber Board, said.

With China embarking on a massive construction spree and the people's living standard rising, the demand for wood, furniture and fixtures are also increasing at a fast pace, industry sources said.

With a number of Indian companies possessing the latest rubber wood processing technology, India could export quality wood to China at reasonable price, Rajagopal said. Bureau Report