A modern room with bamboo flooring

Guwahati, Aug. 25: A unique bamboo product from the Northeast is set to floor Europe.

Market analysts believe bamboo floor boards manufactured in the region have the potential to dominate the competitive European market. The business opportunity has been created through a project that is part of the National Mission on Bamboo Applications, which operates under the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council.

The country’s bamboo sector is worth Rs 2,043 crore and the Northeast accounts for 50 per cent of this. It is estimated that the region can earn as much as Rs 200 crore annually by exporting bamboo floor boards.

A new company, Kosons Forest Products Ltd, will manufacture the floor boards. A plant with a European finishing line, the first of its kind in the country, is being set up in Guwahati. The machines are from Italy and Germany. Trial production is slated to begin next month.

Bamboo has long been used to decorate homes, but not on floors. Bamboo floor boards are being touted as a better-looking and more durable product than wood, which is becoming a scarce commodity anyway.

“People are looking for new flooring materials and bamboo boards are a viable alternative,” Gautam Kothari, promoter-director of Kosons Forest Products Ltd, said.

The cost of the project is Rs 5 crore and assistance has come from both the National Mission on Bamboo Applications and the North Eastern Council. The capacity of the unit is 60,000 square metre per annum.

“Bamboo boards are scratch-proof and have tremendous aesthetic appeal. These can be placed on top of any floor surface and are cheap, compared to wooden flooring,” Kothari said.

Wooden flooring costs Rs 200-350 per square feet, while bamboo boards will be priced at Rs 125-150 per square feet. The boards will have an ultra-violet coating, distinguishing it from other flooring products.

“We intend to initially target hotels, offices and homes in the metros and mini metros. We will later begin exporting the product to different destinations across Europe,” Kothari said.

Northeast Frontier Railway has already placed an order.

Apart from floor boards, Kosons Forest Products Ltd will manufacture roof tiles, wall panels, partitions, doors and frames with bamboo.