By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAR 15, 2024: MINISTER of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise s (MSME), Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma laid the foundation stone and performed bhumipooja to open Coir Showroom at Konch, Jalaun District in Uttar Pradesh on 14 March, 2024. Verma said that Coir Board expects to promote diversified products and its various applications in Uttar Pradesh and also provide new employment opportunities in this area. He said, as per the vision of the Prime Minister of Narendra Modi and as per the directives of the Minister for MSME, Narayan Raneji, Coir Board proposes to develop coir industry in Non-conventional areas.

Verma informed that Coir Board has 4 Showrooms in Uttar Pradesh viz. Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi. There is a lot of market potential in Uttar Pradesh. Coir Board has actively participated in the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam held in the year 2022 & 2023 and a lot of exhibitions in Uttar Pradesh.

The Minister said, as part of the Board's efforts to develop the domestic market new Showrooms/Sales outlets are proposed to be opened in untapped markets. MSMEs plays a vital role in generating employment opportunities and contributes a lot for the socio-economic development of the country.  Coir industry is opening up new avenues in the application of its products and is moving to Pan India with the popularisation of the schemes and services for providing employment opportunities, he added.

Coir Board was set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 by the Government of India for the overall sustainable development of coir industry in the Country. The functions of the Board as laid down under the Act include undertaking, assisting and encouraging scientific, technological and economic research, modernization, quality improvement, human resource development, market promotion and welfare of all those who are engaged in this industry. Coir Board is come under the Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India. The Head Quarters of the Board is located at Coir House, M.G. Road, Kochi, Kerala and is running 48 establishments including 28 marketing outlets across the country.  For the last 70 years Coir Board is steering the industry and the industry today plays a vital role in the economic development of rural areas of the country.  Coir industry was concentrated in the State of Kerala, which has now been proliferated to other parts of the country also, with the efforts taken by the Board.

The functions mandated under the Coir Industry Act are carried out by Coir Board under the various Schemes/Programmes, including research and development activities, training programmes, extending financial support for setting up of coir units, domestic as well as export market development, welfare measures to the workers etc.

- Coir industry sustains more than 7 lakhs of coir workers, predominantly women, in different States of the country.

- It is estimated that around 80% of the work force in the industry are women and it plays a vital role in rural women empowerment of many coastal districts of the country.

- There are 1956 registered coir exporters in the country.  It is pertinent to note that there are 11 coir exporters though UP is non-conventional area for coir industry.

- The export of Coir and Coir products from India has crossed Rs.4000 crores from Rs.1400 crores during the period of Modi Sarkar.

- Under PMEGP(Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme), Coir Units have been started in different states of the country.

- Coir Artisans are covered under the scheme PM Viswakarma Yojana.

- Coir Products are eco friendly in nature and gained "Eco Mark" certification by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. Of India.

- Coir products save environment and help to reverse Global Warming.

- "Coir pith" used to save water

- "Coir Geotextiles" used to save soil

- "Coir Wood" used to save trees and forest

- The Board's Research Institutes are undertaking new R&D projects in coir with various CSIR units and Universities, in the field of spinning and product diversification.

- Lot of sophisticated machinery were invented by Coir Board from fibre extraction to finished products.

- Indian Road Congress (IRC) has accredited the use of coir geotextiles as a new material for construction of roads since 2011.

- The National Highways authority has already issued directions on use of coir geotextiles  for the embankment stabilisation of the national highways.

- The RDSO, Ministry of Railways has released the guidelines RDSO/2020/GE:G-0022 April 2022 for Application of  COIR GEOTEXTILES in Railway Embankments and Natural Hill Slopes & Cuttings

- As per GoI instructions, 5% length of the rural roads under PMGSY-III will be constructed using Coir Geo textiles.

- The initiatives of the Coir Board have led to a series of product development and diversification activities that have helped to launch a number of value added products, meeting consumer needs.  New end use applications of coir like the use of Coir Geotextiles for preventing soil erosion, conversion of Coir Pith into a valuable bio-fertiliser and soil conditioner and Coir Garden articles have gained popularity in India and abroad.  The growing affinity towards environment friendly products has helped coir and coir products in domestic as well as foreign market.