Bamboo Round Stick - TBM 

The state of Tripura used to be the leading producer of handmade bamboo sticks required by the incense industries of the country. However, in last 3-4 years due to change in global business regime, product portfolio and market demand, handmade bamboo sticks have been gradually replaced by mechanised round bamboo sticks. Once the leading producer supplying more than 70% of India’s demand for bamboo sticks for incense industries, Tripura’s share dropped below 10% in current scenario. Countries like China & Vietnam have captured the market with mechanised round sticks. This has resulted in loss of livelihood of thousands of rural people of the state, who were fully dependant on bamboo. Reciprocating to this shift, Tripura is gradually upgrading handmade bamboo sticks clusters to mechanised round bamboo sticks cluster. With a view to regain its market position as well as to sustain thousands of rural livelihoods, the state government, through Tripura Bamboo Mission, is promoting to establish technology intensive commercial units of bamboo round sticks at par with global standards. Over the years, the technology has been customised as per Tripura condition and locally available bamboo species. Kumarghat town in Unakoti district is gradually becoming the largest cluster for bamboo round sticks in the country as many units/ factories have already been operationalized and many more are being established. This initiative will surely give an impetus to ‘Make in India’ mission with timely & significant contribution from the tiny state of Tripura.