Kolkata: Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh visited the Indian Jute Industries Research Association (IJIRA) and ICAR – Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibers (ICAR–CRIJAF) during his official tour to Kolkata on September 5.
The Union minister was accompanied by Padmini Singla, IAS, Joint Secretary (Fibre), Ministry of Textiles, Moloy Chandan Chakraborty, Jute Commissioner, Shashi Bhushan Singh, Secretary &CEO, National Jute Board (NJB), and other senior officers from the Ministry and its field institutions.
He stressed that NJB will play a pivotal role in driving innovation, diversification, and value chain development not just for jute but also for other bast and regenerative fibres such as Ramie, Sisal, Banana Fibre and Bamboo Fibre.
During his visit, the minister emphatically reiterated the government’s renewed focus on the development and mainstreaming of “New Age Fibres” under the National Jute Board’s extended mandate.
The minister emphasised the importance of value addition in jute and allied fibres to meet the growing global demand for sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, especially in textiles segment, technical textiles, and composites.