PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Union minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh said that bamboo’s rapid growth and sustainability make it an ideal resource for textile production, supporting the government’s vision of a self-reliant, green economy. He said this while chairing a meeting at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) here on Monday. The meeting was attended by the State’s Agriculture minister Ganesh Joshi, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) director general Kanchan Devi, FRI director Renu Singh and other senior officials and scientists.
Referring to research done by FRI on bamboo, the Union Minister said that this is about jobs, sustainability, and putting India on the global textile map. Discussions also covered future steps, including scaling up production, refining processes and collaborating with textile manufacturers. The meeting marks a significant stride toward integrating bamboo into the textile supply chain, promising eco-friendly solutions for a growing global market. The meeting wrapped up with a promise to push the research further, collaborating with industry to turn bamboo into a household name in fashion and beyond.
Earlier, FRI scientists made a brief presentation on bamboo, focusing on the innovative use of bamboo for dissolving grade pulp (DGP) and its application in textile production. The team of FRI scientists presented findings from their evaluation of different Indian bamboo species for DGP production, a critical component in manufacturing textile fibers such as rayon and viscose. The research highlighted the selection of two among nine as top-performing species, boasting high alpha-cellulose content (over 52 per cent), low ash and silica levels, and excellent pulping properties. This positions bamboo as a sustainable alternative to wood-based pulp, tapping into vast bamboo reserves of India.
The FRI director said that this research paves the way for bamboo use in high-value industries while uplifting rural livelihoods.
