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**The Hindu: Northeast India to Get Vegan Leather Manufacturing Units from Agro-Waste**

**Thiruvananthapuram, June 23, 2025:** A significant boost for sustainability and regional development is coming to Northeast India with the establishment of plant-based vegan leather manufacturing units. The CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram and the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate this initiative.

The MoU, signed in New Delhi on Monday, will enable NECTAR to utilize NIIST’s innovative vegan leather technology to create common facility centers and manufacturing units across Meghalaya and other northeastern states. These centers will empower farmers, MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises), and women-led self-help groups to transform agricultural waste into valuable, sustainable products.

The initiative addresses the critical issue of agro-waste management in the Northeast, where residues like rice straw, banana, and pineapple waste often contribute to pollution and environmental degradation. By converting this waste into plant-based leather, the technology replaces a significant portion (50-70%) of the chemicals used in synthetic leather, thereby dramatically reducing the environmental impact of the leather industry.

“There is a pressing need to address the growing agro-waste challenge in northeast India,” said CSIR Director General N. Kalaiselvi during the signing ceremony.

NIIST Director C. Anandharamakrishnan and NECTAR Director Arun Kumar Sarma exchanged the MoU documents, signifying a collaborative effort to promote regional entrepreneurship, job creation, and environmentally responsible manufacturing. The project aligns with national missions like Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make In India, Innovate India, and Swachh Bharat, highlighting its contribution to a self-reliant and cleaner India.

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