India, March 17 -- In the red lateritic uplands of western West Bengal, where sal forests sway over undulating terrain and agriculture survives on uncertain monsoons, an unassuming grass quietly sustains the rural economy. For thousands of households across the districts of Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia, it has long been a steady source of livelihood. Locally called sabai or babui, and Eulaliopsis binata in scientific nomenclature, the perennial grass grows in dense clumps and thrives where most crops struggle. It flourishes on degraded, rain-fed uplands, often dismissed as "marginal" and unproductive. It withstands drought, tolerates light frost and requires little beyond seasonal rainfall and minimal labour. Waterlogging can destroy it,...