Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 16: To kickstart preparations for the upcoming Lavender Festival 2026, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), organized a day-long stakeholders’ meeting here today.
The meeting focused on shaping the next phase of the Aroma Mission with emphasis on value addition and market expansion.
Participants from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi engaged in detailed discussions on improving product quality, strengthening branding and linking growers with national and international fragrance markets.
The programme was graced by Dr Shakti Vinay Shukla, Director of the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, as chief guest.
Addressing the gathering, he emphasized the vast potential of India’s aromatic sector, noting that Kannauj, along with Grasse in France, holds a continuous 5,500-year-old tradition of perfumery, backed by archaeological and GI evidence.
He highlighted that FFDC acts as a bridge between research institutions, industries and farmers, offering end-to-end support, from cultivation techniques to development of value-added products.
He also announced joint short-term training programmes with IIIM Jammu, to be conducted in Bhaderwah and at the Biotech Park, enabling farmers to learn perfume-making skills.
Assuring a strong market demand, Dr Shukla stated that even small stakeholders in Kannauj run businesses worth Rs 70-80 crore.
“The demand exists; the focus should be on producing quality products and presenting them effectively,” he said, inviting farmers to visit the FFDC campus.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director CSIR, IIIM noted that lavender cultivation has expanded from a single farm to multiple regions including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Northeast.
He announced that the Lavender Festival 2026 will be held on May 31 and June 1 in Bhaderwah on an unprecedented scale, with participation from national aroma industry leaders.
Dr Zabeer described it as an annual event dedicated to promoting aromatic crops and supporting farmers’ enterprises.
The vote of thanks was presented by Dr Saurabh Saran.
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