Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in December 2002, under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act 1956. It serves as a catalyst to the development of bamboo industry in India, particularly in rural areas, undertaking various collaborative livelihood development projects.

Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family.

Bamboos are some of the fastest growing plants in the world as some species are capable of growing 100 cm (39 inch) or more per day due to unique rhizome dependent system. However, the growth rate is partially dependant on local soil and climate conditions.

Bamboo is an excellent material for countless applications ranging from handicrafts to industrial products and construction.

As a source of livelihood, bamboo plays an important role in rural development and generates large employment beginning with the management of bamboo stand, harvesting, transport, storage, processing, trade and utilization. It has great social and economic importance in many countries.

Bamboo culms provide excellent material for countless applications, they can be used as splits to prepare handicraft items, material of daily use to the more skillful use in construction of houses and bridges and enormous other applications.

Bamboo and rattan (cane) are important means for generating income and improving the nutritional status of over two billion poor and disadvantaged people. These natural resources also provide the basis for an expanding small- and medium-scale enterprise sector in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As such, bamboo and cane constitute excellent entry points for rural poverty-alleviation initiatives.

Bamboo benefits rural communities because it lends itself to agricultural approaches and can be grown on non-agricultural land. It is easily processed by simple tools because it splits linearly. Bamboo industrial development — by default — benefits the community because growing, harvesting, transportation and processing are all labour intensive.

Bamboo growth also results in land protection and soil quality improvement, benefits agriculture and ensures food security. It provides several other incidental benefits such as significantly reducing fish feed costs to artisanal fisheries, and backstopping a range of sectors such as sericulture, fisheries, animal husbandry and agriculture and, importantly, housing.

The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) was formally established in 1997 as a multi-disciplinary network for addressing social, economic, policy, institutional and technical issues related to the development of bamboo and cane around the world. In order to help realize the benefits of bamboo for the rural communities in India, INBAR has facilitated the setting up of the Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology (CIBART) as an independent nonprofit organization to promote the bamboo sector in India. In turn,