Guwahati: Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has launched two bamboo sector projects for the northeast with a total outlay of Rs 82.5 crore.
The projects, implemented by the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC), were inaugurated on Sunday in Guwahati.
The initiatives were developed over a period of 18 months through detailed planning, stakeholder consultations and coordination among the Ministry of DoNER, the North Eastern Council (NEC) and the NECBDC. As part of the preparatory work, the ministry undertook value-chain assessments, cluster studies, market research and extensive consultations with state governments, artisans, industry stakeholders and private sector partners.
The first project, titled ‘Strengthening Traditional Bamboo Artisan Clusters’, aims to modernise tools, designs and production processes, upgrade Common Facility Centres and link artisans with digital platforms and organised retail systems.
The second project, ‘Promotion of Engineered Bamboo Products’, focuses on industrial-scale, value-added bamboo manufacturing. It seeks to promote the production of engineered bamboo boards, panels, furniture and composite products as sustainable alternatives to timber, plastics and conventional construction materials.
For the first project, two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with Gaurav Bhatnagar, Director of Sales at Amazon India, and Girish Nair, Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy at Flipkart. An MoU for the second project was signed with Kailesh Shah, Chairman and Managing Director of All Time Plastics Ltd. The projects will be implemented in Karbi Anglong district of Assam and Mokokchung district of Nagaland.
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The initiatives are expected to generate direct and indirect employment, enhance income security for rural and tribal communities, and help position the North Eastern Region as a hub for bamboo-based products.
