The Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) successfully concluded its international conference on “Just Transition to Net Zero – Role of Bamboo in the SAARC Region”. The event marked a significant step toward promoting bamboo as a sustainable development tool across SAARC countries, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, financial institutions, and civil society representatives to foster meaningful dialogue.

The inaugural session was graced by Pasha Patel, Chairman, Price Commission, Maharashtra, as the Chief Guest. Other distinguished dignitaries included Ajay Shankar, Chairman, and Foundation for MSME Clusters and Former Secretary to the Government of India, and Rinzi Pem, Assistant Director, Social Window, SAARC Development Fund. Their presence and insights enriched the event, setting the tone for impactful discussions.

Pasha Patel, Chairman, State Agricultural Price Commission, Maharashtra, and Chairman, Executive Committee, Chief Minister’s Task Force for Environment and Sustainable Development said, “All government thermal power generation units in the country release 5,90,000 MT of carbon per day into the atmosphere, adding bamboo can be an alternative to coal as a fuel for power generation.”

Ajay Shankar, Chairman, Foundation for MSME Clusters, and Former Secretary to the Government of India, said, “ for shared his long-term vision on the integration of bamboo into MSME and development ecosystems. Developed countries have limited scope for change as they have already followed a carbon-intensive path. In contrast, South Asian developing countries have the opportunity to adopt a more sustainable approach.”

Rinzi Pem, Assistant Director, Social Window, SAARC Development Fund, emphasised on developing the collaborative opportunities within the SAARC countries for leveraging bamboo to achieve net-zero targets.

The conference was part of the project “Promoting Integrated Bamboo-Based Enterprise Development among SAARC Countries,” supported by the SAARC Development Fund since 2017. The project, implemented across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, engages partners such as Women’s Economic Empowerment Rural Development Program (Afghanistan), BRIF (Bangladesh), Tarayana (Bhutan), FMC (India), and ABARI (Nepal). During the event, project partners from Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh presented case studies showcasing challenges, achievements, and innovations, offering valuable insights for advancing bamboo enterprise development.

The conference featured three engaging panel discussions. The first, moderated by senior journalist Naghma Sahar, focused on bamboo industry integration, with insights from Sanjeev Karpe (Director, KONBAC), Anupam Badola (Deputy CSO, Dalmia Cement), Rajeev Pratap Singh (AGM, Rashmi Group), and Sharda Pratap Singh, Subject matter expert (Hindalco). The second, led by Mehraj Dube, addressed bamboo enterprise financing, featuring experts like R.K. Singh,  Chief General manager (SIDBI), Ritesh Sinha, Zonal Head, (HDFC CSR), Sanjay Sharma, Director (SPMN), and Ajithsen Selvadhas, Microcredit and enterprise development expert. The third, moderated by Krunal Negandh, Directori (Jans Bamboo Products), discussed civil society’s role, with contributions from Prabhat Kumar, Mission director (National Bamboo Mission), Ajay Thakur, Scientist Gand AICRB bamboo (FRI), Neju George, CEO (Industree) and Anuj Srivastava, lead- strategicPartnrrship,(HCL Foundation).

The conference served as a collaborative platform for CSR leaders, researchers, buyers, and artisans, aiming to create a regional strategy for achieving net zero goals through bamboo-based innovations. It underscored the urgency of cross-sectoral partnerships to unlock the full potential of bamboo for sustainable development in the SAARC region.