The Arunachal Pradesh government, in collaboration with the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and the North Eastern Council (NEC), has broken ground on a 200-acre bamboo processing cluster in Papum Pare district. The cluster, located near the Banderdewa industrial corridor, is expected to create over 5,000 direct jobs and benefit approximately 15,000 bamboo farmers across the state.
The cluster will house processing units for bamboo furniture, construction panels, flooring, activated charcoal, and bio-energy pellets. The state government is providing the land at concessional rates, while the NBM is funding the common infrastructure including a bamboo treatment plant, testing laboratory, design centre, and skill development institute. Total project outlay is Rs 450 crore, with Rs 280 crore from central schemes.
Arunachal Pradesh accounts for nearly 10% of India's total bamboo reserves, with over 60 species found across the state. Forest and Environment Minister Mama Natung said the cluster aligns with the state's vision of value-added processing. "For decades, our bamboo has been exported as raw material. This cluster will change that -- we will process, add value, and brand Arunachal bamboo products for national and international markets," he said.
