Jute industry plays an important role in the national economy of the country in terms of i) employment generation ii) contribution to the national exchequer by way of collection of duties and value-addition. Cultivation of jute and mesta supports livelihood of about 40 lakh farm families spread over West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh. Jute industry provides direct employment to about 2.60 lakh jute mill workers and indirectly generates additional employment of about 1.5 lakh people engaged in R&D work, manufacturing in machinery and spare parts, trade and other allied activities in service sector.