A comprehensive overview of the Coir Board of India

Here is a comprehensive overview of the Coir Board of India — including its origin, mandate, organisational structure, major functions/schemes, challenges & opportunities, and key statistics. If you like, I can also pull up the latest financials, scheme details for beneficiaries, and a roadmap for future growth.

1. Origins & Legal Basis

• The Coir Board of India was established under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 (Act No. 45 of 1953). (India Code)
• The Act provides for the constitution of the Board, its functions, control over exports of coir fibre & products, finances/accounts, etc. (India Code)
• The Board began functioning with effect from 7 July 1954 (headquarters at Ernakulam/Kochi in Kerala). (Tennessee Government)
• It is a statutory body under the Government of India, functioning under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME). (MSME Ministry)

2. Mandate & Objectives

Under the Act and various policy documents, the Board is mandated to:

• Undertake, assist and encourage scientific, technological and economic research in the coir industry. (AspireIAS)
• Collect and maintain statistics relating to exports, domestic consumption of coir fibres and coir products. (Wikipedia)
• Develop new products and product designs, modernise production infrastructure, quality improvement. (Tennessee Government)
• Promote domestic and export markets for coir and coir products. (India Brand Equity Foundation)
• Promote cooperatives among producers of husks, fibre, yarn and manufacturers of coir products; ensure remunerative returns to producers and manufacturers. (Economic Adviser)
• Undertake training, human resource development, welfare of workers engaged in the coir sector. (AspireIAS)

3. Organisational Structure & Key Functions

• The Board comprises a full-time Chairman and several part-time members (historically up to 39 part-time members as per older documents).
• The Board has regional offices, research/training centres: for example the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) at Kalavoor, Alappuzha (Kerala) and a centre in Bangalore. (ccriindia.org)
• The Board runs marketing outlets/showrooms across India to promote coir products. (diligentias.com)
• It implements various schemes for modernization, training, product development, welfare of workers. (Economic Adviser)

4. Major Activities & Schemes

Here are some of the key activities and schemes undertaken by the Board:

a) Research & Product Development

• The Board supports development of new coir-based products such as geotextiles (coir bhoovastra), coir composites, coir pith products for horticulture. (KNN India)
• Example: Coir-ply boards that substitute wood/plywood, enabling forest preservation. (KNN India)

b) Marketing & Export Promotion

• Coir fibre and products are exported to over 100 countries. (MSME Ministry)
• The Board helps in promotion of domestic market via showrooms, fairs, exhibits. (ETGovernment.com)

c) Modernisation & Infrastructure

• The Board aids setting up/upgrading of units for fibre extraction, spinning, weaving, etc. For example mobile fibre extraction machines to reduce pollution. (KNN India)

d) Training, Welfare & Employment Generation

• The coir industry is labour-intensive, especially in rural areas; the Board focuses on training (especially women), welfare of workers, and generating employment opportunities. (MSME Ministry)

e) Scheme Integration

• The Board works in concert with schemes like Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) for rejuvenation of coir clusters. (India Brand Equity Foundation)

5. Key Statistics & Economic Role

• The coir sector provides livelihoods to over ~7 lakh (700,000) workers in India, a majority in rural coastal areas. (MSME Ministry)
• For example, during 2018-19, exports of coir and coir products from India recorded around 756,153 MT valued at Rs 2,192.45 crores. (India Brand Equity Foundation)
• Kerala alone accounts for 61% of total coconut production in India and ~85% of coir products. (MSME Ministry)
• Only about 40% of available coconut husk is being utilised by the industry (i.e., significant raw-material under-utilisation). (MSME Ministry)

6. Challenges & Opportunities

Challenges

• Raw material constraint: Though coconut production is large, husk collection, processing and supply to coir industry is not fully leveraged.
• Competition from synthetic fibres and imported alternatives.
• Need for greater value-addition, product diversification, higher quality standards.
• Employment issues: many workers are women, often in informal/unorganised settings—necessitating welfare and formalisation.
• Infrastructure and technology gaps in rural units, need for modern machinery, training.

Opportunities

• Growth of eco-friendly/natural fibres globally; coir is well-positioned to harness sustainable demand (geotextiles, horticulture, bio-composites).
• Domestic market potential: newer applications (mattresses, garden articles, coco peat, composites) and expansion beyond traditional coconut-belt states to non-traditional states (“pan-India”). (ETGovernment.com)
• Use of under-utilised coconut husk for new products, environmental benefits (peat substitute, erosion control) etc.
• Government support for MSME, traditional industries, and “Vocal for Local” campaigns can further boost the sector.

7. Recent Developments

• The Board plans to expand into non-traditional areas (for example, Uttar Pradesh) by establishing showrooms, promoting diversification of coir applications. (ETGovernment.com)
• Discussions for setting up “world-class testing laboratory and training centre” for coir industry in Pollachi (Tamil Nadu) to upgrade quality/infrastructure. (The Times of India)

8. How to Engage / Benefit

If you are a stakeholder (entrepreneur, worker, researcher) or just interested, here are ways to engage with the Coir Board’s work:

• Check schemes for setting up coir units (value-added products, export units).
• Training programmes offered by CCRI and Board – for technicians, weavers, women artisans.
• Use of coir products (geotextiles, coco peat, composites) offers business opportunity.
• Export opportunities: tap into foreign markets for eco-fibre products.
• For rural employment / women empowerment: units leveraging coir fibre processing, weaving, matting etc.

9. Contact & Headquarters

• Head Office: “Coir House”, M.G. Road, Kochi (Ernakulam), Kerala – 682 016. (India Brand Equity Foundation)
• Toll-free number: 1800 425 9091 (general queries) (India Customer Care)
• Email: [email protected] (for general queries) (India Customer Care)

10. Summary

The Coir Board of India plays a vital role in promoting an agro-based traditional industry that is labour-intensive, environmentally friendly, rural-employment generating, and export-oriented. Its strategic importance is underscored by raw material uniqueness (coconut husk), intersections with sustainability (natural fibre, biodegradable products), and rural livelihoods (especially women). Addressing its challenges—raw material linkages, value addition, infrastructure, quality, market access—offers a path to leverage its full potential.

Website:

The official website of the Coir Board of India is: https://coirboard.gov.in/ India Brand Equity Foundation+2MSME Ministry+2

You can also access its page on the Ministry’s site: https://msme.gov.in/coir-board MSME Ministry+1