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The National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was initially launched in 2006 under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to promote bamboo-based development. Between 2014–2016, it was subsumed under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

In 2018-19, it was restructured under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) to revamp bamboo cultivation, processing, and value chain integration.

A key reform was the 2017 amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, which removed bamboo grown outside forests from the definition of “tree.” This de-regulated its felling and transit, boosting private bamboo farming and easing trade.

Objectives

• Increase the availability of quality planting materials and expand area under bamboo cultivation, especially in non-forest land.
• Promote post-harvest management, primary treatment, seasoning, and preservation technologies.
• Develop market infrastructure, incubation centers, and tools & equipment for value addition.
• Encourage value-added product development, skill development, and entrepreneurship.
• Reduce import dependency on bamboo and bamboo-based products.

Funding Pattern

• General States: 60% Central and 40% State funding.
• Northeastern & Hilly States: 90% Central and 10% State.
• Union Territories, BTSGs & National Level Agencies: 100% Central funding.

Implementation Framework

• Implemented through the State Nodal Departments, nominated by respective State/UT governments.
• Notable example: Bareilly Bamboo Cluster operational in Shahjahanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, since 2019-20, with activities like nursery establishment, bamboo plantation, skill development, and bamboo product demonstration.

Bamboo – Ecological & Economic Significance

• Botanical Classification: Grass (Family: Poaceae, Subfamily: Bambusoideae), ~115 genera and ~1,400 species globally.
• Native to tropical, subtropical, and mild temperate zones, with highest concentration in East and Southeast Asia.

Properties & Applications:

• Carbon Sequestration: Produces 35% more oxygen than comparable vegetation; acts as a natural carbon sink.
• Climate Adaptability: Thrives in degraded lands; prevents soil erosion; vital for land restoration.
• Alternative Energy Source: Among the fastest-growing plants (up to 90 cm/day); can substitute fossil fuels.
• Food & Medicine: Bamboo shoots are consumed in Northeast India; roots and parts used in traditional medicine.
• Livelihood Support: Flexible harvest cycles provide year-round income for farmers.

Bamboo Production Status in India

• 18,000+ inventoried grids reported bamboo presence between 2016–17 to 2019–20.
• Estimated total bamboo culms: 53,336 million.
• 35.19% increase in bamboo culms from ISFR 2019 to ISFR 2021 (an increase of 13,882 million culms).