1 Plant, 100 Uses explores the many ways familiar Indian plants, leaves, fruits and trees have been part of everyday life — from food and farming to homes, traditions and natural remedies. Each story takes one plant and uncovers the surprising ways people have found it useful, often across generations.

A bamboo plant can look rather ordinary. It may grow gently beside a home, along a field or across the hills of Assam, commonly becoming so familiar that people stop noticing it.

But look a little closer, and the same plant can become a chair, a house, a basket, a musical instrument, paper, food, flooring or even a source of livelihood.

India is home to 136 bamboo species, of which 125 are indigenous. According to the Government of India, the country has 13.96 million hectares under bamboo and is the second richest country in the world in terms of bamboo diversity.

That versatility is perhaps best understood through people who have spent years working with it. In Jorhat, Assam, bamboo is not essentially a raw material for Prabhat Saikia. It has become the foundation of a business, a craft and a source of work for young artisans.

From a bamboo pole to a piece of furniture

When Saikia started a small bamboo and cane handicraft unit in 2006, he wanted to show that the plant growing abundantly around him could become more than an everyday utility.

His workshop now turns bamboo into furniture and decorative pieces, with around 20 young artisans working there. Some of them found a way to earn a living without leaving their villages for cities.

He also learnt that bamboo’s strength depends on how it is treated. Working with the Rainforest Research Institute in Jorhat, he trained in bamboo treatment techniques and worked on making his products more durable. That made it possible for his bamboo to move beyond traditional handicrafts into furniture, cottages, and architectural spaces.

The Government’s National Bamboo Mission lists construction, furniture, flooring, doors, windows,........

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