Agartala, Nov 11 (IANS): The National Institute of Technology, Agartala, (NITA) has initiated to set up rubber and bamboo research centres to boost industries and employment in the northeastern region, a top official said here on Saturday.

"As Tripura is the second largest rubber producer in India, after Kerala, a viable rubber research centre can be set up in the NITA to boost the rubber cultivation, industries and employment," NITA Director Ajoy Kumar Roy told the media.

"Like other northeastern states, Tripura is a good bamboo growing area and a bamboo research centre is also necessary for the same purpose. A huge variety of bamboo are growing in Tripura, Mizoram and other northeastern states," he added.

Bamboo is also known as "green gold" in the northeastern region.

With over 75,000 hectares of land under plantation, Tripura produces over 60,000 tonne of rubber annually. The market value of the rubber produced in the state is over Rs 650 crore, of which 90 per cent is send outside the state earning about Rs 620 crore.

India's second industrial rubber park has come up in Tripura's Bodhungnagar area to boost the polymer industry.

The state government has also been developing India's first Bamboo Park at Bodhungnagar industrial estate, 25 km north of here, at a cost of Rs 30 crore on 100 acres of land to help expand bamboo-based industries.

Roy, who got Padma Shri this year for his outstanding contribution in science and engineering, said: "In quest of effective industrial collaboration, NITA has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three corporate and training institute.

"These are Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation and Bangalore-based iBuild."

He said that another MoU was signed between NITA and IIT Madras. These MoU would assist NITA to collaborate academic and research activities in the areas of mutual interest.