Guwahati, 26 February (HS): Assam’s impressive reserve of ‘Green Gold’ or bamboo presents a treasure trove of opportunities for Assam, from sustainable forestry practices to innovative industries and livelihoods. This existing potential of the bamboo sector got a major impetus at the “Bamboo: Green Gold Potential of Assam” session held as a part of the Advantage Assam 2.0: Investment & Infrastructure Summit 2025. The session showcased Assam’s vast potential in the bamboo industry and its promising role in sustainable development, economic growth and industrial innovation.

The session which saw the attendance of experts, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, underscored bamboo’s immense value as a versatile, eco-friendly and income-generating resource.

Dr. Abhinav Kant, Director, Bamboo & Cane Development Institute, Agartala, kicked-off the session, setting the context of the session and also acted as the moderator for the panel discussion. Speaking on the occasion, he provided key insights into bamboo’s role in modern industries from construction to handicrafts and biofuel production providing a comprehensive understanding of the bamboo industry covering bamboo propagation, plantation, entrepreneurship, development, technology, commercialization, wide innovation and product development and so on.

Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, etc departments of the Government of Assam Atul Bora extended the keynote address of the session, highlighting Assam’s promising prospects for making bamboo a cornerstone of sustainable industrialization with an emphasis on government’s initiatives to enhance bamboo-based enterprises and promote investment in this sector. The Minister said bamboo has been an integral part of Assam’s economy, households and tradition since centuries.

During the session, a compelling panel discussion held with the active presence of the industry pioneers- Sanjeev Karpe, Bamboo Construction Expert, Founder & MD, Native Conbac Bamboo Products Pvt. Ltd., Nikunja Borthakur, Advisor- Corporate Affairs, NRL, Sonali Ghosh, Field Director, Kaziranga National Park and CEO, Assam Agro- Forestry Development Board, and Dr. Nitin Kulkarni, Director, ICFRE-Rain Forest Research Institute. The panel initiated insightful discussion that revolved around opportunities for bamboo in large-scale construction, sustainable packaging, furniture manufacturing, and international trade.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Karpe, Bamboo Construction Expert, Founder & MD, Native Conbac Bamboo Products Pvt. Ltd., spoke about the diversified usage of bamboo through embracing sustainable interior design projects followed by a power point presentation displaying some of the best bamboo projects and value addition practices.

Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director, Kaziranga National Park and CEO, Assam Agro- Forestry Development Board, highlighted on the importance of agro-forestry and spoke about the various activities being carried out in this sector in Assam. She spoke about the higher income potential, the quick returns, diverse income sources including climate resilience of bamboo. In her speech, she also stressed on the need to engage rural women into the value addition activities in the bamboo sector.

Nikunja Borthakur, Advisor- Corporate Affairs, NRL, showcasing the promising market of bamboo farming, spoke about how the bio-ethanol plant of NRL requires 100 truckloads of bamboo chips every day for producing bio-ethanol and the importance of other diversified value-added utilities served as bamboo dust, bio-chai and so on. The bio-ethanol plant of NRL, an ambitious and futuristic project produces nearly 6 crore litres of bio-ethanol in a year which requires 20 crores of bamboo poles every year, highlighting the massive potential of bamboo farming.

Dr. Nitin Kulkarni, Director, ICFRE-Rain Forest Research Institute, contributing to the insightful discussion highlighted the effectiveness of tissue culture in having rapid bamboo coverage and also stressed upon generating capacity building and awareness generation in the sector. Further he emphasized on identification of the gap between demand and supply and it's addressal followed by a Power point presentation as well.

The panel discussion covered several topics including the need for technological advancements, financial incentives, and policy reforms to unlock bamboo’s full potential in Assam. The session also addressed key challenges such as supply chain constraints, awareness gaps, and market accessibility for bamboo entrepreneurs. The discussion also stressed on the need for public-private partnerships to build a robust bamboo ecosystem, integrating local artisans with global markets. The speakers collectively urged for capacity-building initiatives and R&D investments to enhance bamboo product quality and innovation.

Commissioner & Secretary to the Govt of Assam, Finance department, Virendra Mittal, IAS was the session in-charge for the Bamboo: Green Gold Potential of Assam session which explored the economic, environmental and industrial potential of bamboo and also addressed it's growth and sustainability, value chain and emerging opportunities and has set the stage for further investments, research collaborations, and policy enhancements, reinforcing Assam’s position as a leader in bamboo-based industries.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash