Coir House and 48 establishments: the statutory board built by the Coir Industry Act, 1953

Background

The Coir Board owes its existence to the Coir Industry Act, 1953, under which the Government of India created it to take the coir industry of the country towards sustainable development overall. Under that Act the Board's functions cover research of a scientific, technological and economic kind, along with modernisation, quality improvement, human resource development, market promotion, and the welfare of everyone engaged in the industry. The Board's headquarters is at Coir House in Kochi, Kerala. A release of the Press Information Bureau records that the Board runs 48 establishments across the country, including 29 marketing outlets. The same release shows the Board working in association with the Ministry of MSME. It says the coir industry was concentrated in the State of Kerala and has since spread to other parts of the country through the efforts taken by the Board. The functions mandated under the Act are carried out through schemes and programmes, among them the Coir Vikas Yojana and the Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme. The release groups the Board's work under research and development, training, financial support for setting up coir units, domestic and export market development, and welfare measures for workers.