Written by PPL Newsroom• October 2, 2026• 2:34 am• Policy

India issues first PRAMAAN forest certificates to Andhra plantations and Odisha bamboo farm

The Environment Ministry’s first certificates cover 33,000 hectares of plantations and a 14-hectare bamboo farm, giving Indian wood producers audited proof of sustainable sourcing.

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav handed over India’s first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) in New Delhi on Tuesday, 29 September. The certificates show the scheme has moved from policy to field-level use. They also give Indian growers a government-run way to prove their wood comes from well-managed land.

Who received the certificates

Two recipients got the first certificates. The Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) received one for plantations spread over 33,000 hectares. Govind Mohapatra, a bamboo farmer associated with the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA), received the other. Put simply, 33,000 hectares is an area larger than 45,000 football pitches. One certificate covers a state corporation’s large plantation estate. The other covers a single farmer’s holding.

The bamboo farm is much smaller. The certification covers 14.03 hectares across four plots in Gobardhansul and Ranibhol, under the Trees Outside Forests Management and Chain of Custody framework. The certified species are Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa nutans and Dendrocalamus strictus, which are used commercially in construction and furniture. An audit by a body accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) preceded the certification.

What PRAMAAN certifies

The name stands for Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural forestry resources. It is the trade name for the IFWCS, which the Environment Ministry introduced in December 2023. It has three categories: Forest Management for forested land and plantations, Trees Outside Forests for plantations and agroforestry outside forests, and Chain of Custody for tracing wood and non-timber forest products along the supply chain.

The scheme relies on outside checks. The minister noted that forest management certification is anchored in the National Working Plan Code 2023 and audited by third parties, not left to voluntary self-declaration. The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, is the scheme’s operating agency. PRAMAAN certifies how land is managed and how wood is traced. It is separate from the carbon credit trading scheme, which the Bureau of Energy Efficiency administers.

What this means for India

Export markets increasingly ask for proof that timber and wood products are not linked to deforestation. Yadav described PRAMAAN as a way for Indian producers, exporters and forest-based enterprises to meet such due diligence norms. The Odisha certificate shows that small farmers can be covered as well as large state bodies. The Odisha certification is expected to help farmers reach premium domestic and export markets. Whether that happens will depend on how many more growers and buyers join.

What happens next

These are only the first two certificates, and the ministry has not published targets for further ones. Yadav urged certification bodies, state forest departments, tree growers, farmer producer organisations, industries and institutions to take part in PRAMAAN. He also wants the scheme to open new income streams for rural and tribal communities and smallholder farmers.

The test will be how quickly more producers get audited, and whether buyers at home and abroad accept the label. The minister said the scheme’s accreditation design is benchmarked against international certification frameworks. That is meant to help certified products gain recognition from domestic and global buyers and regulators.