Bhubaneswar, Mar 31: The “Bamboo Forward Summit- From Ground to Growth” was successfully held on Monday at Lyfe Hotel, Bhubaneswar, bringing together farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and policymakers to deliberate on the future of Odisha’s bamboo sector.
The summit provided a critical platform to explore strategies for transforming the state’s rich bamboo resources into a thriving, enterprise-driven ecosystem. The event commenced with an inaugural session featuring a keynote address by the Chief Guest, Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, Principal Secretary of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, Government of Odisha.
Sarma highlighted bamboo’s potential as a key driver of sustainable livelihoods and economic growth. He stressed that its development must be industry-oriented, focusing on value addition, engineered products, and stronger market linkages.
Technical sessions throughout the day covered diverse themes, including the role of bamboo in Community Forest Rights areas, field experiences from Koraput, industrial applications such as biochar, and certification frameworks for quality assurance. Discussions also focused on integrating major government programmes—such as OFSDP, CAMPA, OFDC, Mission Shakti, and other livelihood initiatives-to enable holistic sectoral development.
Market-oriented sessions featured trader interactions and a high-level roundtable, offering insights into scaling bamboo-based enterprises. Key strategies identified included cluster development, design-led product diversification, improved market linkages, and enhanced access to finance.
The summit saw the participation of senior officials, including Dr K. Murugesan, PCCF & HOFF, Odisha; Swayam Mallik, Director (Operations) of OFDC Ltd.; Karthick V., SMD of the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA); and Sangeeta Agasty, Director of INBAR South East Asia Region.
The event concluded with a roadmap aimed at positioning Odisha as a leading hub for bamboo-based industries, fostering sustainable economic growth while empowering local communities.
