Bhubaneswar event highlights bamboo-based livelihoods, innovation and new market opportunities for artisans and rural communities
GTNS , SEPTEMBER 19, 2026 , BHUBANESWAR — Bamboo emerged as a key focus of Odisha’s sustainable livelihood and green-economy agenda as the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency observed World Bamboo Day 2026 at Anandaban in Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneswar.
Forest, Environment and Climate Change and Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia attended the programme as the chief guest. The event brought together bamboo farmers, artisans, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, designers, researchers and government representatives.
The celebration placed emphasis on moving bamboo beyond its traditional uses and creating stronger economic opportunities through cultivation, processing, product development and organised marketing.
Speaking at the programme, Singkhuntia highlighted bamboo’s wide range of applications, including construction, furniture, handicrafts, lifestyle products, packaging and food-related products. He also underlined its potential to support rural employment and contribute to a green and circular economy.
A major feature of the programme was the inauguration of the Bamboo Haat at Anandaban, developed under the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project. The facility is intended to provide artisans, entrepreneurs, self-help groups and small traders with a dedicated platform to display and market bamboo products.
The programme also showcased the work of the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA) in bamboo cultivation, processing, value addition, training and employment generation.
The celebrations followed a two-day Bamboo Product Innovation Competition, held on September 17 and 18, in which participants from Odisha, Kerala, Assam and Delhi presented new bamboo products, designs and ideas. Winners of the competition were felicitated during the main World Bamboo Day programme.
Dr. K. Murugesan, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Odisha, attended the programme as the guest of honour. Senior forestry officials and representatives associated with bamboo development were also present.
Odisha’s bamboo development programme is focused on commercial cultivation, value addition, competitive bamboo-product clusters and the creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities, with particular attention to farmers, tribal and rural communities and women engaged in the sector.
The World Bamboo Day programme therefore highlighted a broader transition—from bamboo as a traditional forest resource to bamboo as a potential source of enterprise, employment, innovation and sustainable economic activity in Odisha.
global times news desk / GTNS , SEPTEMBER 19, 2026