Latest news with #LavenderFestival2025
United News of India
2 days ago
- Business
- United News of India
Bhaderwah in terrorist-infested Doda district of J and K turning into Lavender cultivation hub
New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) Bhaderwah town in terrorist-infested Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a 'fragrant revolution' from obscurity to Lavender production 'adding fragrance" to the hills with young entrepreneurs involved in Lavender cultivation and earning over Rs 65 Lakh annually. Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, while inaugurating a two-day Lavender Festival 2025 in Bhaderwah, said Lavender had given the small town a national identity and also a national role in India's economic growth, an official spokesman here said. He also addressed skepticism around India's economic resilience amid aggressive defence postures. 'Despite challenging times and operations like Operation Sindoor, India's economy has not only remained buoyant but also grown. That is a fitting reply to skeptics,' he asserted. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had boosted the Startup Movement and introduced Bhaderwah's Purple Revolution to the world through a detailed mention in his 'Mann Ki Baat'. 'When the Prime Minister dedicated nearly ten minutes in his 'Mann Ki Baat' to talk about this Lavender mission in detail, it gave the best possible global introduction to Bhaderwah — one that we couldn't have imagined,' Dr. Jitendra Singh said. Fifty distillation units were operational in Bhaderwah, supplying Lavender products to Maharashtra and other states, he said, lauding the Agri-Startup model of Lavender farming as a transformative force that has rewritten the narrative of entrepreneurship in remote and hilly terrains. The model has not only attracted attention from neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, but also from the North-Eastern states. 'Bhaderwah, once a quiet hilly town, is now a beacon of India's rural startup revolution. Lavender has not just added fragrance to these mountains—it has added identity, income, and inspiration.' 'This single mission has answered multiple challenges,' Dr Jitendra Singh said, adding 'it busted the myth that startups are limited to IT or require foreign degrees. Our youth in Jammu and Kashmir, in collaboration with CSIR-IIIM, have shown that passion, perseverance, and learning can build sustainable ventures rooted in agriculture.' He said young entrepreneurs in Bhaderwah are earning an average of Rs 65 lakh annually through lavender cultivation and value-added products, motivating many others to leave conventional jobs and pursue farming as a lucrative business opportunity. 'This is a new paradigm the world is witnessing -- a rural, agriculture-based startup revolution that is both scalable and sustainable,' he said. He said sectors like Lavender cultivation would further fuel India's rise. These unexplored areas, when empowered, would become pillars of value addition and employment generation. UNI RB SSP
United News of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Aroma Mission: Over 50 distillation units installed in J&K, Jitendra to inaugurate Lavender Fest on June 1: Official
Jammu, May 28 (UNI) Ahead of two-day Third Lavender Festival being hosted by the CSIR-IIIM Jammu at Bhaderwah on June 1 and 2, a senior official of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu on Wednesday said that more than 50 lavender produce distillation units are installed under Aroma Mission across the Jammu and Kashmir. The two days festival will be inaugurated by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on June 1 at Government Degree College, Bhaderwah along with Vice President, CSIR, DG CSIR, Directors of CSIR Labs, Industrialists, Policy Makers, Scientists, Startups and Members of Civil Society. 'Under this mission, more than 50 distillation units across J&K were installed to support local-level processing of lavender produce,' Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM here said. He revealed that the CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, is set to organize the third Lavender Festival 2025 on June 1 and 2 at the Government Degree College, Bhaderwah, in District Doda of Jammu and Kashmir to be inaugurated by the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. Dr. Zabeer Ahmed highlighted that this year's festival will be unique in many ways, as it celebrates the growing success of lavender cultivation under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, not only across the Jammu and Kashmir but also in extended regions such as Uttarakhand and the North-Eastern states. 'Under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, CSIR-IIIM has played a pivotal role in empowering rural communities through the cultivation of lavender by engaging over 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in remote areas, providing free Quality Planting Material (QPM) and complete technological support, covering cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing,' he revealed. Dr. Zabeer shared that Tehsil Bhaderwah has emerged as a model region under the mission, wherein farmers have sold QPM worth over ₹1 crore. Local growers have produced 1,500 kilograms of lavender oil and 93,000 kilograms of dried lavender flowers, which were successfully marketed, he said adding, 'a total business turnover of ₹10.5 crore has been recorded, highlighting the mission's substantial socio-economic impact.' The initiative has not only boosted income levels but also fostered women's empowerment, with increased participation of women in lavender farming and related enterprises, he stated. The Director said that the primary objective of the Lavender Festival is to celebrate this success and further promote agro-based entrepreneurship in aromatic crops. Several farmers who earlier practiced traditional farming have successfully transitioned to lavender cultivation, with many now running their own entrepreneurial ventures, he said. The event will bring together a diverse group of participants, including, Farmers, Scientists and Researchers, Startups and Industrialists, Policy makers and civil society representatives from across the country and the festival will also host a Agri-Startup Expo, showcasing innovations in value-added products and technologies related to lavender. 'Participation is open to start-ups, early-stage entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders while the Lavender Festival aims to serve as a catalyst in transforming the agro-economy of the region, with potential for long-term national economic impact,' he said.
