Jan. 31: There was a time when coconut husk was merely used to clean utensils, sweep the floors or burnt for cooking. Now, coconut husk, coconut fibre and coir mean business, money and huge employment.

This message was loud and clear in the ongoing Northeast Coir Expo here at the Lakshmidhar Baruah Khetra as Coir Board displayed the latest range of products and machinery, with an eye to attract local youths towards this lucrative business.

“There is a huge demand for value-added coir products and by setting up a small unit, an entrepreneur can earn Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. We are ready to support in procuring the funds, proper training and marketing their products, too. Apart from supporting entrepreneurs to set up coir plants, we are also encouraging local entrepreneurs to open franchise outlets. We are also offering 40 per cent subsidy in procuring the machinery,” Kumar Raja, secretary of Coir Board, said.

The board has put up stalls displaying the products and the machinery used in setting up the coir plants.

“There is a huge business of coir products in south Indian states, but we want that coir products should not come to Assam. Entrepreneurs should produce value-added products here and we will help them to export. We are organising the expo here to show the young people the kind of products made from coir and how they too, can enter the business and set up plants here. We have earmarked Rs 35 crore for promotion of coir business in the Northeast, during the Twelfth Plan. Entrepreneurs can explore the markets in Southeast Asian countries from here and we will assist them,” Raja said.

The board also appealed to the youths to derive benefits from the training courses being offered to young entrepreneurs. “Once young men or women show interest in coir business, they can contact our sub-regional office at Bamunimaidam. They can take up complimentary courses at the Central Coir Research Institute in Alappuzha, Kerala. There are two courses — a six-month certificate course for the artisans and a yearlong advance diploma course in coir technology. The courses are complimentary and we offer a monthly stipend of Rs 750 to the participants,” K.P. Rupesh, the board supervisor, said.

Apart from setting up plants, youths can also open franchise outlets and the board is offering 20 per cent commission of the products. “We already have 30 showrooms of coir products across the country, including three in the Northeast and we are planning to set up another 1,000 during the Twelfth Plan. However, we are ready to increase the number, if the response from young people increases,” Raja said.