Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space and Vice President CSIR, Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday inaugurated the buyer-seller meet organized by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine at CSIR Innovation Complex, Mumbai, as a prelude to the upcoming Lavender Festival 2026.

The one-day Aroma Industry–Farmer Meet brought together leading aroma and perfumery industries, scientists, startups, entrepreneurs and lavender farmers, particularly from Bhaderwah and other regions of Jammu and Kashmir, with the aim of strengthening market linkages and building a sustainable lavender-based enterprise ecosystem.

Addressing the gathering through video conferencing, Dr Jitendra Singh complimented Director CSIR-IIIM Jammu, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, and his team for organizing the Buyer-Seller Meet and said the initiative reflects the growing success of the CSIR Aroma Mission and the Purple Revolution in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the Aroma Mission has significantly strengthened aromatic farming in the region and created new livelihood opportunities for farmers and youth.

However, he noted that as the sector evolves toward a sustainable aroma-based economy, challenges such as inconsistent product quality, weak market linkages and limited industry-oriented guidance still remain.

The Union Minister expressed confidence that deliberations during the Buyer-Seller Meet would help bridge critical gaps between producers and the market.

He said the participation of lavender farmers, startups and aroma entrepreneurs from Bhaderwah and adjoining regions would enable direct interaction with leading stakeholders of the perfumery and fragrance industry.

Hon’ble  Union Minister  said several prominent industry players, including Kelkar, Ajmal Group, Expo Essential Oils, BBK Specialities and Nishant Aroma, are participating in the event and engaging directly with farmers and startups.

He said the platform would help align production with industry requirements, improve quality standards and establish sustainable value chains with assured market linkages.

Highlighting the importance of international exposure, the Minister said the event would also help stakeholders from Jammu and Kashmir develop aroma-based value-added products and strengthen the region’s position in the global fragrance and wellness market.

He extended his best wishes to the organizers, participating industries, farmers and agri-startups for the success of the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Director CSIR-IIIM Jammu, Zabeer Ahmed said the institute is continuously working to connect science with rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, guidance of Hon’ble Union Minister Jitendra Singh and the personal supervision of Director General, CSIR, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi.

Dr Ahmed said the Aroma Industry–Farmer Meet has been organized with the theme “Bridging Fields with Fragrance Innovation” to create stronger partnerships between farmers, startups and industries and promote a complete value chain from cultivation to global aroma markets.

He said CSIR-IIIM has played a key role in promoting lavender cultivation and aromatic crops in Jammu and Kashmir through scientific interventions, training, distillation technologies and entrepreneurship support, especially in regions like Bhaderwah which have emerged as important lavender clusters under the Purple Revolution.

Dr Ahmed said the meet would provide farmers and startups with an opportunity to understand emerging market trends, contract farming opportunities, essential oil extraction technologies, value addition and entrepreneurship support. He added that participants would also gain awareness about various government schemes and startup initiatives linked to the aroma sector.

He further said the direct interaction between industries and farmers would help ensure better quality production, sustainable incomes and long-term market support for aroma growers and entrepreneurs.

The event witnessed participation from scientists, industry experts, startups, aroma farmers and representatives of major perfumery and fragrance companies from across the country.

A spokesperson disclosed that during the meeting, the prominent industries leaders participated were Ramesh Vaze, Chairman, S.H.Kelkar Group, Milind Deshpande, Ajmal perfumers, Kamlesh Shah, BBK Specialist, Sandeep from Nishant Aroma, Kajal Shah, Fine Fragrances Private Limited, Gotam Mohanty, Green Essence Extraction Pvt. Ltd., and Praveen Ghoghari, Sagar Aromatics and B.N. Tripathi, Expo Essential Oils.

In the two technical sessions followed by open discussion, the challenges and future directions in the Aroma Sector with main focus on the Lavender cultivation, processing, upscaling and  marketing aspects have been discussed.

 

*******

NKR/AK/AV

(Release ID: 2259406) Visitor Counter : 160