Representational image only.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

GUWAHATI

A Sikkim-based university, focussing on industry-immersive education, has collaborated with the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) to promote bamboo-based startups and drive innovations in the bamboo industry.

“The partnership entails establishing incubation centres to support such start-ups and research and development centres to scale up bamboo-based solutions and advance sustainable harvesting methods,” a statement from Medhavi Skills University (MSU) and the NECBDC said on Thursday (November 28, 2024).

The NECBDC, formerly known as the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre, is a wing of the North Eastern Council, the nodal agency under the DoNER Ministry for the economic and social development of the northeastern States.

“This partnership leverages the expertise of both organisations to foster sustainable growth, enhance employability and create valuable opportunities for the youth of the region. The initiative brings together MSU’s experience in conducting industry-oriented skill-based degree and diploma programmes with NECBDC’s specialised expertise in cane and bamboo development,” the statement read.

“Our partnership with NECBDC is focussed on developing vocational training in cane and bamboo technologies, integrating practical skills with formal education. We aim to provide industry-relevant certifications to empower local communities and support sustainable economic growth in the northeast,” Kuldip Sarma, Pro-Chancellor and co-founder of MSU said.

M.C. Omi Niingshen, the managing director of the NECBDC said the council hopes to unlock the immense potential of the northeast’s natural resources through the collaboration with the MSU.

“Our joint efforts will not just develop skills but also create a sustainable pathway for economic empowerment and technological innovation in the cane and bamboo sector,” he said.

According to the NECBDC, the northeast comprising eight States occupies 35.79% of the total bamboo area of 14.94 million hectares and 45.62% of the production of 53,336 million bamboo culms in the country.

Arunachal Pradesh (8,824 million culms) was the highest bamboo producer during 2021 followed by Assam with 5,656 million culms and Nagaland with 2,705 million culms.