In order to sustain comfortably human beings need materials for manufacture and construction.  During various parts of the history various types of materials were used such as iron, copper and latest being the plastics.  The sources of these materials were not plastics.  The sources of these materials were not renewable and most of them are not biodegradable.  Thus they are not eco-friendly.  With environmental concern we are back to the basics.  It is now envisaged that "Bamboo" is our future material.  It comes from renewable source and bamboo is biodegradable.  It gives us textile as rayon, paper, food, shelter, medicine and craft and ensures employment generation.  It is often called "Green Steel".  With these backgrounds, Government of India has now come up with "Bamboo Mission".  An International Organisation called INBAR is planning bamboo development.  In many UNDP and UNIDO Programmes bamboo figures.  Though bamboo originated in India, we do not have sufficient books and references on bamboo.  We have to refer Japanese scriptures. Out of 550 species of bamboo available in the World 178 species are found in India out of which 75 spices are found only in North Eastern India.  This book is an attempt to give backgrounds on bamboo in Indian context with the hope that it will be a tool for success of "Bamboo Mission".  It will certainly be of help to administrators, researchers, planners and so on.