On Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled a bamboo bicycle in Guwahati, announcing plans to make the vehicles available for public use in city parks.
The ‘Assam Bamboo Bicycle’ was produced at the Bamboo Technology Park in Chhaygaon in partnership with Pune‑based Bamboo India. Raw material is sourced from across the state, and the Rs 15‑crore initiative aims to manufacture 1,000 bicycles each month.
Sarma rode the prototype at the launch, noting that the frame is entirely bamboo and has received certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards. He highlighted that bamboo, native to Assam, has over 800 byproducts, ranging from methanol to aviation turbine fuel, and that the central government’s classification of bamboo as a grass has opened new opportunities for the sector.
Within days, the state will distribute the bicycles to parks across Guwahati, allowing residents to test ride them and provide feedback before larger procurement. The manufacturing unit is expected to create 50 to 100 direct jobs and stimulate rural livelihoods and green enterprise throughout the supply chain, from harvesting to assembly and services.
