India on a rebranding mission: Jute over plastics

From the boutiques of Christian Dior to royal wedding favours, jute is growing in popularity worldwide as the demand for alternatives to plastic soars, with experts predicting the bag industry alone will be worth more than $3bn by 2024. India is desperate to capitalise on this consumer shift and seize the opportunity to revive its flagging industry, expanding it from sacks and gunny bags to fashion. But critics say that investment is needed to match up to such grand ambitions.

Farmers extract jute fibres from decomposed jute plants, in Nadia, Sunday. (Photo | PTI)