GUWAHATI, Nov 16 - Eco-friendly bamboo and local products of Assam have tremendous potential to be a game-changer for trade and commerce, experts observed at a webinar organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Guwahati on the topic �Leveraging the Natural and Bio-Diversity � Core Competence of Bamboo and Allied Sector in Assam for Economic Development� here today.
Experts from the industry fraternity including organisations of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Textiles along with academicians deliberated and discussed the market potential of eco-friendly products from the socio-economic, cultural, academic and policy perspectives.
Highlighting the Central government�s awareness initiatives on �vocal for local� for a wide assortment of textile, pottery, culinary and hospitality products and the potential of the bamboo and allied sectors, Manoj Kumar Das, Managing Director, North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd., Guwahati said that domestically and internationally the market of bamboo and its allied sector products is evolving and has huge potential.
Dr Abhinav Kant, in-charge, Bamboo and Cane Development Institute, Ministry of Textile, Agartala said that the relevance of bamboo in Assam is not only in socio-economic development, but also in trade and commerce and employment of youths.
He said that bamboo products are environment-friendly and have utility in multiple sectors � be it in construction, building, tourism, hospitality, energy, medicinal, environmental and small and medium enterprises. He added that bamboo has tremendous potential for employment of youths.
Hemanta Rabha, Project Head, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati and National Youth Award winner (2003) said awareness initiatives such as �vocal for local� products are an opportunity to talk about tribal products which have the potential of conserving bio-diversity and promoting eco-tourism. He said such products help in economic growth and development of a region and create a win-win scenario for all in the value-added process of market development.
Chandan Pachani, another senior officer from IIE said that the efficacy of technology and market potentiality of bamboo and its allied sectors form another value add-on for cultural and socio-economic development.
Dilip Borah, an entrepreneur in the bamboo sector said that bamboo has the advantage of being environment-friendly. As such its marketability in the international market is dynamically accentuating with its competing products. He said that the entrepreneurial potential of bamboo and its allied sectors is also huge, be it in hospitality, culinary, toys, energy sector, agarbatti market, among others.
Abdur Rahman Mallick, an advocate in the Delhi High Court, lauded PIB for holding the informative webinar and said that environment-friendly bamboo products have cultural prominence in many villages of Assam. �The cultural ethos of a place finds relevance in bamboo and cane products, as in jaapi during Bihu dance and celebration, bamboo and cane furniture and flower vessels,� he added.
