General Introduction:
The Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) project is a five-year initiative (2021-2026) supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). TOFI aims to increase the area under trees outside of traditional forests, promoting environmental, economic, and social benefits. The project is implemented by a consortium led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), with partners including research institutes, NGOs, and government agencies.
TOFI program aims to establish TOF-based Enterprise Incubation Centres (TBEICs) in participating states, including Assam. These centers will incubate and support Tree-based Enterprises (TBEs), fostering entrepreneurship in the value chain of agroforestry products.

Focus Area (one liner):
The TBEIC at IIT Guwahati's School of Agro & Rural Technology (SART) will focus on training, mentoring, and providing resources to entrepreneurs, promoting the growth of sustainable TBEs and contributing to the program's overall goal of expanding trees outside forests.

The three broad objectives of TREE HUB are :

• Strengthening Enabling Environment: Expand the resource base, boost political commitment, improve certification and regulation of TOF products, mainstream Quality Planting Material (QPM) standards, and align TOF-related state policies.
• Economic Incentives and Risk Reduction: Scale up TBEs and out grower schemes, establish high-tech nurseries for quality plantation material, and incentivize less economically oriented tree species through strengthened payment schemes.
• Improving TOF Information Access: Enhance extension services, provide technical and market-related information via a Virtual Call Centre, TOF Online Dashboard, and an innovative TOF App to support tree integration in farming systems.

It aims at promoting the development and growth of TBEs through the following routes:

1. Enhancing Technical and Business Skill
2. Technology Familiarization
3. Business Planning and Incubation Support
4. Finance and Insurance Linkages
5. Marketing and Branding Facilitation
6. De-risking the Setup Process

Following is the list of wood and non-wood based technologies that will be the focus of the TBEIC:

Wood & Non-wood based technologies:

• Wood and bamboo-based composite manufacturing technology
• Bamboo and wood-based furniture manufacturing technology
• Bamboo and wood-based handicraft & utility products manufacturing technology
• Medicinal herbal foods and other herbal products manufacturing technology
• Fresh and freeze-dried fruits
• Latex tapping and Rubber Intermediates production technology
• Bamboo-based cosmetics products manufacturing technology
• Areca nut-based utensils manufacturing
• Agarwood processing and value-added products
• Biomass palletization
• Modern plantation technology
• Carbon credit enabling technology

Facility highlights at TBEIC:

• Design facility equipped with AutoCAD and other design software and a dedicated computer aided bamboo and wood crafting workshop.
• Biomass palletization plant
• Roasting/Puffing device
• Flaking device
• Freeze Dryer
• Desiccant Dryer Dehumidifier Chamber and an Air dehumidifier unit
• Microwave + IR assisted drum/rotary dryer
• Pulverizer /grinder
• Solid blending machine
• Solid flake/powder packaging system
• Modified atmosphere packaging machine and analytical system
• Bottling line
• Decoction unit
• Filtration machine
• Water activity meter
• Automatic Fiber Extraction System
• Multi probe instruments dedicated to the project: Thermohydrometer, Temperature & humidity mini data logger, Hanna pH meter, Temperature and humidity mini data logger, Indent for 1 KW magnetron
• Refrigerator
• Analytical kit
• A microplate reader