New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS): Emphasising the the bamboo sector's unexplored potential, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that it can be used for making bio-ethanol, which would reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel, thereby achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the petroleum sector.

In his address at the day-long national-level workshop on bamboo development organised by the NITI Aayog, he said the bamboo sector is going to be a key driver of economic growth in the post-Covid times. He said the country has a huge resource of bamboo and it will become an important source of livelihood in the coming years.

Highlighting the increasing popularity of bamboo products and the scope of its entrepreneurship, he said, across the country, except northeastern parts, there is a lack of exploring the commodity. Terming bamboo "green gold", he said bamboo can be utilised in every aspect of life and it is environment friendly.

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar said: "Bamboo is a natural product that can benefit many industries. The need of the hour is to work on increasing the supply and meet the growing demand for bamboo and its products. There is a strong need to promote the bamboo sector across all states with the development of entrepreneurship amongst farmers and the youth.

NITI Aayog Member Dr V.K. Saraswat said that the construction sector in India presents tremendous growth opportunities for bamboo, owing to its unique features. "Its versatility as a substitute offers a chance to protect forests; it has immense economic and business potential."

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said: "From the point of view of job creation and ecological and economic development in India, bamboo has enormous potential for enhancing the quality of life, for both urban and rural communities."