Union Minister of Textiles addresses meeting on innovation in jute sector at IJIRA, Kolkata
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Kolkata, September 9, 2025: Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, today addressed a meeting at the Indian Jute Industries’ Research Association (IJIRA), Kolkata, where he underlined the significance of the jute sector in India’s economy and the pressing need for innovation to make it more efficient and globally competitive. The Minister inspected prototypes of new, more productive machinery being developed by the institution and took note of the ongoing works on an AI-based industrial model for grading jute fibre. He said that such technological interventions would play a crucial role in improving quality standards, strengthening farmer confidence and expanding plmarkets.
Jute is one of India’s oldest and most important natural fibres, cultivated mainly in Eastern India. The making of jute involves several stages—retting, pfibre extraction, spinning and weaving. Traditional retting, which requires large volumes of water, remains a major challenge, while many spinning and processing machines continue to be dated and expensive to run. These constraints have slowed productivity and kept farmer interest limited. Newer technologies such as Minimal Water Retting and AI-based fibre grading are expected to ease these difficulties, deliver better quality fibre and reduce dependence on imported machinery.
Shri Singh was informed by the scientists at IJIRA that two improved machines have already been ordered and that India’s dependency on Chinese machinery is declining. He stressed that investor viability must remain at the core of any new technology and pointed out to the need for innovation in design, such as replacing iron with carbon fibre to lower costs. He also referred to the Government’s “One Mill One Village” initiative, which seeks to build rural livelihoods around jute processing. The Minister said that natural fibres must see significant improvement by 2030 if India is to meet sustainability goals and that blending jute with other fabrics can expand its demand in fashion and push exports well beyond the present level of ₹4,000 crore.
Shri Singh also highlighted research in allied fibres such as bamboo and sheesham. While bamboo takes four years to mature, it can be harvested every one to two years thereafter, with the added benefit of replenishing groundwater and supporting mixed cropping systems.
The Minister concluded by recognising the work of institutions based in Kolkata—IJIRA, the Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (CRIJAF), and the National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology (NINFET)—which serve as the link between farmers, industry and policymakers. He said that as the world’s largest producer of jute, India holds the potential to lead in natural fibre technology, and expressed confidence that with sustained innovation and diversification, the sector will achieve higher growth and wider global reach in the years to come.
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SSS/RS/05.09.2025