Assam’s bamboo boom: green gold industry set for transformational growth

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 27, 2025

Assam’s vast bamboo reserves—often referred to as Green Gold—are paving the way for a new era of sustainable development, economic expansion, and industrial innovation. The session “Bamboo: Green Gold Potential of Assam,” held on Tuesday as part of the Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment & Infrastructure Summit 2025, spotlighted the immense potential of the bamboo sector and the opportunities it presents for large-scale industrialization and eco-friendly entrepreneurship.

The session brought together policymakers, experts, and entrepreneurs to discuss how bamboo can be leveraged for sustainable industries, from construction and packaging to biofuels and furniture manufacturing.

Dr. Abhinav Kant, Director of the Bamboo & Cane Development Institute, Agartala, set the stage with an insightful overview of bamboo’s applications across modern industries. Acting as the panel moderator, he emphasized the sector’s transformative potential in areas such as construction, biofuel production, handicrafts, and technological advancements.

In his keynote address, Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Atul Bora underscored the Assam government’s commitment to making bamboo a pillar of sustainable industrialization. He highlighted bamboo’s deep-rooted connection with Assamese tradition and its growing role in economic development, emphasizing new policies and incentives to promote investment and entrepreneurship in this sector.

A dynamic panel discussion featured industry pioneers, including Sanjeev Karpe, Bamboo Construction Expert & MD, Native Conbac Bamboo Products Pvt. Ltd; Nikunja Borthakur, Advisor-Corporate Affairs, NRL; Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Field Director, Kaziranga National Park & CEO, Assam Agro-Forestry Development Board and Dr. Nitin Kulkarni, Director, ICFRE-Rain Forest Research Institute. The panel explored bamboo’s role in large-scale construction, sustainable packaging, furniture manufacturing, and international trade.

Sanjeev Karpe showcased groundbreaking bamboo-based interior design projects and value-added products, demonstrating how bamboo can revolutionize sustainable architecture.

Dr. Sonali Ghosh highlighted the importance of agroforestry and climate resilience, stressing how bamboo farming can offer quick and diverse income sources, particularly for rural communities. She emphasized the need to engage women entrepreneurs in value addition and bamboo processing.

Nikunja Borthakur presented the market potential of bamboo farming, citing the bio-ethanol plant at NRL, which consumes 100 truckloads of bamboo chips daily to produce 60 million liters of bio-ethanol annually—requiring an astonishing 200 million bamboo poles per year. This, he stated, represents a massive economic opportunity for bamboo growers.

Dr. Nitin Kulkarni advocated for tissue culture techniques to accelerate bamboo cultivation and address supply-demand gaps. He emphasized the need for awareness programs, capacity building, and financial incentives to ensure sustained growth in the sector.

The discussion emphasized technological advancements, policy support, and public-private partnerships as key drivers for bamboo’s industrial growth in Assam. Panelists highlighted the need to strengthen supply chains, improve market accessibility for entrepreneurs, and integrate local artisans into global trade networks.

The session concluded with a call for increased R&D investments and infrastructure development to unlock Assam’s full potential in the bamboo industry. With strong government backing, investor interest, and a focus on innovation, Assam is on the path to becoming India’s leading hub for bamboo-based industries.

Commissioner & Secretary, Finance Department, Virendra Mittal, led the session, reaffirming the government’s vision for bamboo as a sustainable economic powerhouse. The discussions set the stage for future investments, research collaborations, and policy advancements—positioning Assam at the forefront of the global bamboo industry.