Bhubaneswar: The Bamboo Forward Summit 2026, themed From Ground to Growth, was held in Bhubaneswar on Monday, bringing together farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to chart a roadmap for strengthening Odisha’s bamboo sector.
Organised as a multi-stakeholder platform, the summit focused on transforming the state’s abundant bamboo resources into a structured, enterprise-driven ecosystem with strong market linkages and industrial applications.
Addressing the inaugural session, Chief Guest Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, Principal Secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Odisha, highlighted bamboo’s potential as a driver of sustainable livelihoods and economic growth. He stressed the need for an integrated and industry-oriented approach, with emphasis on value addition, engineered products, and improved access to markets.
The summit featured a series of technical sessions covering themes such as bamboo utilisation in Community Forest Rights areas, field-level experiences from Koraput, industrial applications including biochar, and certification systems for quality assurance. Discussions also explored convergence with key government programmes such as OFSDP, CAMPA, OFDC, Mission Shakti, and other livelihood initiatives to enable coordinated sectoral development.
Post-lunch sessions shifted focus to market dynamics, with trader interactions and a roundtable discussion offering insights into scaling bamboo-based enterprises. Participants underscored the importance of cluster development, design-led product innovation, stronger market linkages, and improved access to finance.
The event saw participation from senior officials and sector experts, including K. Murugesan, PCCF and Head of Forest Force, Odisha; Swayam Mallik, Director (Operations), OFDC Ltd.; Karthick V., Managing Director of the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency; and Sangeeta Agasty, Director of INBAR South East Asia Region.
The summit concluded with a broad consensus on developing a strategic roadmap to position Odisha as a leading hub for bamboo-based industries, while advancing sustainable economic growth and livelihood opportunities.
