The Economy of India's Northeast
The Bamboo Economy
Why bamboo, abundant in the Northeast, could support livelihoods and green industries, and how a 2017 law change reclassified it to encourage use.
The Northeast has a large share of India’s bamboo resources. Bamboo grows fast, is strong and versatile, and has long been part of local life.
Uses
- Construction: houses, scaffolding and bridges.
- Handicrafts and furniture.
- Food: bamboo shoots.
- Paper and textiles.
- Bioenergy and ethanol.
- Flooring and panels.
The legal obstacle
Under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo was classified as a tree, so cutting and transporting it from non-forest land required permits. This discouraged farmers from growing it commercially.
In 2017, the law was amended so that bamboo grown outside forests is no longer treated as a tree, making it easier to cultivate and sell.
The National Bamboo Mission
The National Bamboo Mission, restructured in 2018, supports bamboo plantations, processing units and markets.
Opportunities
- Green building materials with low carbon footprints.
- Replacing plastics in some products.
- Ethanol from bamboo: a bamboo-based bio-refinery was set up at Numaligarh in Assam.
Challenges
- Processing and treatment technology to make bamboo durable.
- Market access from remote areas.
- Competition from China, the world’s largest bamboo products exporter.
A village cooperative in Tripura sets up a unit making treated bamboo furniture, selling to urban customers online. After the 2017 law change, farmers can grow and sell bamboo more easily to supply it.
Bamboo can supply modern construction, furniture, paper and bioenergy industries.
- The Northeast has abundant bamboo.
- Bamboo was legally a tree until a 2017 amendment for non-forest bamboo.
- The National Bamboo Mission supports cultivation and processing.
- Processing technology and market access are key challenges.
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