A newly inaugurated Jharcraft showroom near Sujata Chowk in Ranchi exhibits bamboo furniture on Wednesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Jharcraft’s bamboo business is all set to get a dash of design.

The state co-operative, which has already started weaving magic with bamboo by churning out a number of innovative products like low-cost furniture, decorative items, blinds, lampshades and even homes, will team up with National Institutes of Design (NID), Ahmedabad and Bangalore, to upgrade its design technology.

For this, Jharcraft will ink an MoU with the officials of Centre for Bamboo Initiatives at NIDs on May 27. Rajan Christopher, faculty member of NID, Ahmedabad, and C.S. Sushant, in-charge of bamboo development initiative, Bangalore, will visit Ranchi for this purpose.

According to the agreement, both the institutes will lend a helping hand to the state agency, known worldwide for its tussar weaves, in developing new designs and undertaking research to manufacture a range of bamboo products and low-cost homes for five years.

“We want to provide the best bamboo products to our customers at reasonable price. We are already into manufacturing various kinds of bamboo products — furniture, lampshades and artefacts that are on sale at our various outlets. But we do not want to confine ourselves to just creating the products and hence decided to team up with the NIDs that will help us in research, production and developing new designs,” said Jharcraft managing director Dhirendar Kumar.

According to him, NIDs being exclusive research centres, they will be able to add value to the Jharcraft products. “We are also planning to export our bamboo items once the MoU is signed,” Kumar said.

“Tribals have been growing bamboo since ages, but could not make much use of it to make money due to lack of awareness. It was high time that someone came forward to tap the commercial value of bamboo,” the MD added.

Last year, Jharcraft signed an MoU with Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre in Assam besides imparting training in making bamboo products to tribal artisans of Dumka and Chakulia at Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra.

The state capital already has a 10,000sqft showroom near Sujata Chowk selling bamboo furniture.