From green stems to green enterprises: How bamboo is creating new livelihoods across India

September 14, 2026 11:02 AM

From green stems to green enterprises: How bamboo is creating new livelihoods across India

A bamboo bag displayed at a city marketplace may appear to be a simple handcrafted product, but its journey can represent a much larger transformation - from traditional livelihoods and village-level enterprises to modern businesses, technology-driven manufacturing and new markets. At the SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2026 in Gurugram, bamboo bags made by Vishakha Didi from Assam offered one such example. She joined a Self-Help Group (SHG) in 2014 and revived her father-in-law's bamboo craft enterprise ...

National Bamboo Mission strengthens green economy, boosts rural livelihoods

August 29, 2025 12:53 PM

National Bamboo Mission strengthens green economy, boosts rural livelihoods

India’s restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) is emerging as a key driver of the country’s green economy, with over 60,000 hectares of new plantations, 528 processing units, and 130 market hubs established across 24 states and Union Territories. According to the Agriculture Ministry, the mission — launched in its current form in 2018 — aims to promote bamboo cultivation, processing, and marketing through financial assistance, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), and skill developm...