Sounds of sustainability: Yamaha’s test of whether instrument-making and forest conservation can strike a chord

For centuries, the finest musical instruments have depended on forests and their rich, resonant woods. But as global timber supplies face growing environmental pressure, Yamaha, a musical instrument manufacturer, is stepping in to secure the future of both sound and nature. Through its long-term Otonomori (meaning ‘forest of sound’) initiative, the company is working to restore ecosystems by planting trees and conducting vital research. India is a crucial part of this project, as one of its objectives includes protecting the threatened Indian rosewood. Kazushi Nakai, Doctor of Agricultural Science, Ph.D., Musical Instruments Business Unit, Yamaha Corporation, spoke to The Economic Times Digital, explaining how sustainable forestry is reshaping manufacturing instruments from scratch. Edited excerpts:

Economic Times (ET): What prompted Yamaha to launch the Otonomori project in India, and why did it select Indian rosewood selected as a priority species? How serious is the risk of a future shortage of this timber for musical instrument manufacturing?

Kazushi Nakai (KN): Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) is an important material for Yamaha, particularly for the sides, backs, fingerboards, and other parts of acoustic guitars. It is native to southern India, with Karnataka being one of its main growing regions. The species is not cultivated in plantations. It’s resource-based; therefore, it depends entirely on natural regeneration in native forests. It is classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List and listed in CITES Appendix II, which requires its international trade to be controlled to protect its long-term survival.


Yamaha began studying the dynamics of local natural forests and the local supply chain in Karnataka in 2022. We found that natural regeneration of Indian rosewood was limited in local working forests, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the resource. This led us to expand the Otonomori project to India and work with local partners on both conservation and sustainable utilisation of the species.

Although the future availability of Indian rosewood depends on several factors, observations of limited natural regeneration in some state-managed forests underscore the importance of ensuring the species’ long-term sustainability.

ET: What has the project achieved in India so far? Please share specific milestones, including the number of saplings raised or planted, the area covered, and the number of forest sites or communities involved.

KN: Since 2025, Yamaha has been working in collaboration with Overseas Traders, a Karnataka-based timber trading and processing company, and its non-profit foundation, the Aranya Niran Rosewood Foundation. The project also involves collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department and the Institute of Wood Science and Technology. Together, the partners are conducting trials informed by Yamaha’s field and supply-chain research.

Through the Otonomori project, Yamaha is currently conducting three planting trials in Karnataka—one in northern Karnataka and two in southern Karnataka. Each site covers approximately one hectare for a total trial area of approximately three hectares. We have established a nursery on private land arranged by the Aranya Niran Rosewood Foundation, where around 3,000 seedlings are currently being raised for the planting trials. In August 2026, approximately 450 Indian rosewood seedlings were planted at the trial plot in northern Karnataka.

The collaboration also includes research in state-owned forests, development and implementation of planting techniques, studies of site conditions and wood properties, and development of forest conservation approaches. Over the next two years, we will work to refine the planting process through further planting activities at the remaining two plots in southern Karnataka, while also monitoring the forest dynamics at the planted sites.

ET: What are the main ecological and practical barriers to regenerating Indian rosewood, and how is the project addressing them?

KN: One of the main challenges identified through Yamaha’s field research is limited natural regeneration of Indian rosewood in local forests. The project is, therefore, studying the ecological conditions under which Indian rosewood grows and regenerates, while testing planting methods that can supplement natural regeneration.

A key approach being tested is enrichment planting, in which seedlings are planted directly within an existing forest rather than establishing a plantation on cleared land. The aim is to support the natural regeneration of Indian rosewood while maintaining the existing forest ecosystem. Yamaha is applying experience from enrichment planting developed and implemented for African blackwood in Tanzania to Indian rosewood in Karnataka.

ET: What are the biggest challenges in making sustainable Indian rosewood cultivation commercially viable?

KN: The main challenge is to create a commercially workable ecosystem in which conservation, responsible timber use, and local economic value reinforce one another.

Acoustic guitars require carefully selected materials, and not all harvested Indian rosewood meets the specifications for high-value instruments. Yamaha is, therefore, studying wood properties and ways to use lower-grade or underutilised materials more effectively. This includes Wood Flow Molding, a technology that uses heat and pressure to shape a resin composite containing a high proportion of wood-powder into three-dimensional components. This technology could enable more effective use of lower-grade wood and wood residues, helping improve material utilisation and reduce waste. A sustainable model will also require workable arrangements for raising seedlings, long-term forest management and local participation. By connecting forest regeneration with efficient material use and local economic value, the model can help support continued conservation.

ET: What economic benefits could the project create? Is Yamaha considering payments for conservation, support for growers, or other incentives?

KN: Yamaha’s long-term concept is to develop a model in which the value created from wood can also support local livelihoods and provide an economic reason to conserve and nurture forests. For the Otonomori project, Yamaha has decided to make a medium-term investment in local forest conservation, providing financial and technical support for conservation activities and helping create incentives for local stakeholders to protect and nurture forests for the future.

For example, the project is exploring a potential future model in which local communities could participate in seedling cultivation and forest management, while timber businesses and other stakeholders could contribute to a sustainable value chain. In this context, the Otonomori Project defines local communities broadly to include not only villages and private stakeholders, but also local government. Because most forests in India are owned and managed by the government, community-level efforts alone are not sufficient, and any long-term model needs to be aligned with government forest working plans. Therefore, the Otonomori Project focuses on working with local partners to establish practical techniques and build capacity for conserving Indian rosewood as a valuable tree species, so that its conservation can be incorporated into government schemes.

ET: What are the key outcomes Yamaha hopes to achieve in India over the next three to five years?

KN: Yamaha’s immediate priority is to move from trial activities toward a scientifically grounded and locally workable model for Indian rosewood conservation.

Through 2028, Yamaha aims to clarify suitable growing and planting conditions through the three trial sites, deepen its understanding of Indian rosewood ecology and regeneration, and develop planting techniques, conservation approaches, and technologies for underutilised wood.

Over the following three years, the aim is to establish and expand seedling-production and planting schemes, extend successful approaches to additional sites, advance a resource-conservation and community co-creation model with local partners, and explore potential product applications for underutilised-wood technologies.

In the near future, the project aims to explore the potential for integrating planting and other approaches that supplement natural regeneration into government-managed forest management systems. From a supply-chain perspective, more efficient use of wood can also contribute to better resource utilisation and long-term monitoring of timber resources.