Shillong, June 4: The North Eastern Council (NEC) has identified bamboo and agarwood as key drivers of economic growth in the region, with officials revealing that the Northeast holds nearly 97% of India’s agarwood resources and that premium-grade agarwood oil can fetch more than ₹10 lakh per kilogram in international markets.
The focus emerged during a pre-plenary meeting held in Shillong ahead of the 73rd Plenary Session of the NEC, where senior officials from the Centre and all eight Northeastern states discussed regional development priorities, value-chain expansion and youth engagement initiatives.
Officials noted that the Northeast accounts for about 96.6% of India’s agarwood resources, with Assam alone contributing nearly 82% and hosting an estimated 114 million agarwood trees. The discussions highlighted opportunities for value addition, processing, exports and entrepreneurship in the sector.
The meeting also outlined a roadmap to strengthen the bamboo economy across the region. State governments were encouraged to ensure at least 5% use of bamboo in public construction projects, while the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) was tasked with supporting quality standards and market linkages.
Senior officials said strengthening bamboo and agarwood value chains could generate employment, boost rural incomes and enhance the Northeast’s position in domestic and international markets.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries, State Planning Secretaries and senior officials of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the NEC. Discussions also reviewed the performance of the Ashtalakshmi Darshan–Youth Exchange Programme, which has engaged 530 students from across India in its first phase.
DoNER Secretary Sanjay Jaju reiterated the Centre’s commitment to the holistic development of the Northeast and called for stronger collaboration among states and central agencies to accelerate regional growth.
 has identified bamboo and agarwood as key drivers of economic growth in the region, with officials revealing that the Northeast holds nearly 97% of India's agarwood resources and that premium-grade agarwood oil can fetch more than ₹10 lakh per kilogram in international markets.){kind=link}