Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on April 26 echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that bamboo is emerging as a key driver of innovation and livelihoods across India’s Northeast. Sharing the Prime Minister’s observations from Mann Ki Baat on platform X, Sarma said bamboo, “once considered a burden, has now emerged as a symbol of innovation,” and pointed to its growing economic and infrastructural role in the region.
Modi, as reported by Sarma, credited policy reforms introduced in 2017 — including removing bamboo from the official category of trees — with unlocking the sector’s potential by making cultivation and trade easier. That policy shift, he said, has enabled farmers and entrepreneurs to invest in modern production and value-addition across states such as Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim.
Sarma highlighted concrete examples cited by the Prime Minister: the use of bamboo in contemporary infrastructure projects such as Guwahati’s new airport; farmers like Bijoy Sutradhar from Gomati district and Pradip Chakraborty from South Tripura who have adopted technology to raise quality and output; and self‑help groups in Dimapur and neighbouring areas that are developing bamboo‑based food products. He also noted enterprises such as Khoroulo Creative Craft that produce furniture and handicrafts from bamboo.
Innovation at the grassroots extends to scientific approaches, Sarma said, pointing to teams in Mizoram’s Mamit district working on bamboo tissue culture and polyhouse management. In Sikkim, the Lagastal Bamboo Enterprise Team is manufacturing a range of goods including handicrafts, incense sticks, furniture and interior décor items, illustrating diverse market opportunities.
Sarma said these examples reflect rapid growth in the bamboo sector across the Northeast, contributing to rural livelihoods, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development. He framed bamboo not only as a traditional resource but as a strategic asset for job creation, value chains and regional resilience.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/himanta-biswa-sarma-echoes-pm-modis-mann-ki-baat-remarks-on-bamboo-in-northeast-1381619-2026-04-26?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-26 13:09:00
