Union Minister of Textiles Visits IJIRA & ICAR–CRIJAF

Kolkata, September 6, 2025

Union Minister for Textiles,Shri Giriraj Singh visited the Indian Jute Industries Research Association (IJIRA) and ICAR – Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (ICAR–CRIJAF) during his official tour to Kolkata on Friday, (September 5, 2025). He was accompanied by Smt. Padmini Singla, Joint Secretary (Fibre), Union Ministry of Textiles; Shri Moloy Chandan Chakraborty, Jute Commissioner; Shri Shashi Bhushan Singh, Secretary & CEO, National Jute Board, along with other senior officers from the Ministry and its field institutions.

Addressing the stakeholders during the visit, the Minister underlined the Government’s renewed thrust on “New Age Fibres” under the expanded mandate of the National Jute Board (NJB). He said,  NJB will play a pivotal role in driving innovation, diversification and value-chain development, not only for jute, but also for other bast and regenerative fibres such as ramie, sisal, banana fibre, and bamboo fibre. Highlighting the growing global demand for sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, Shri Singh emphasised on the need for value addition in jute and allied fibres for applications in textiles, technical textiles and composites.

The Minister called for greater inter-institutional collaboration between ICAR–CRIJAF, ICAR–NINFET and IJIRA in critical areas such as:

Development and scale-up of quality planting materials and seeds;

Innovative fibre extraction technologies;

Blending of jute with other natural fibres to develop apparel-grade materials;

Development of automated and modular machinery for modern processing and post-harvest value addition.

During his review, Shri Singh also took stock of recent innovations showcased at IJIRA and CRIJAF, which included bamboo fibre extraction technologies, automation in jute spinning and weaving, pilot plantations and trials of ramie and sisal fibres, and mechanisation projects initiated following his last visit in April 2025.

This visit reaffirms the Ministry’s strong intent to modernise the bast fibre ecosystem through the proposed New Age Fibre Mission, aimed at positioning India as a global leader in natural fibre innovation while empowering millions of small and marginal farmers across fibre-rich States.

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SSS/PK