Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the two-day fourth edition of Lavender Festival being organised under the theme, “Lavender goes global”, by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu on June 6. The inauguration will take place at the Government Degree College, Bhaderwah, in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, celebrating the continued success of the Purple Revolution and lavender-based rural entrepreneurship in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a curtain raiser press conference here at CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director CSIR-IIIM, announced that the Fourth Lavender Festival will be inaugurated by the Chief Guest, union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. Dr Ahmed said that through CSIR-Aroma Mission, a flagship programme of union Ministry of Science and Technology, under the mentorship of Dr Singh, who is also the Vice President CSIR, and guidance of Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General CSIR and Secretary DSIR, GOI, the CSIR-IIIM has implemented Aroma Mission in J&K thus empowered the rural communities through lavender cultivation by engaging over 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in remote areas, providing free Quality Planting Material (QPM), support in cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing. “During the three phases of this mission completed, more than 50 fixed and mobile distillation units across J&K were installed to support local-level processing of lavender produce,” he informed. Dr Ahmed further said that the Lavender Festival has emerged as a national platform showcasing the transformation brought by the CSIR-Aroma Mission in remote Himalayan regions, especially Bhaderwah, which has become a major lavender cultivation hub under the Purple Revolution initiative. He said, ”This year’s festival will witness enthusiastic participation of scientists, startups, aroma industries, entrepreneurs, policymakers, agri-business stakeholders, students, progressive farmers, and representatives of fragrance and wellness companies from across the country.”

The Director said the event will feature startup exhibitions, live demonstrations, buyer-seller interactions, technical sessions, farmer-industry networking, and displays of value-added lavender and aromatic products developed by local entrepreneurs and startups. Highlighting the growing impact of the aroma sector, Dr Ahmed said CSIR-IIIM has played a pioneering role in expanding lavender cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, north eastern states, and Himachal Pradesh through scientific interventions, free quality planting material, distillation technologies, training, and entrepreneurship support. “Thousands of farmers and young entrepreneurs have benefitted from lavender cultivation, while women-led enterprises and startups have also emerged under the mission,” he added. Dr Ahmed said the upcoming festival follows a series of precursor events organized to strengthen the aroma ecosystem and market linkages in the region. Dr Ahmed said the Lavender Festival 2026 aims to further promote agri-based entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods and innovation in the aromatic crops sector.

The event will also include technical discussions on lavender cultivation, post-harvest management, essential oil extraction, branding, marketing, and export opportunities. Inviting people to participate in large numbers, Dr Ahmed said the festival is not only a celebration of lavender cultivation but also a movement towards transforming the rural economy of the Himalayan region through science-driven agriculture and entrepreneurship. He appealed to farmers, students, startups, researchers, industry representatives, and various other members of civil society from across the country to attend the festival and witness the success story of the Purple Revolution in Bhaderwah. The web portal of “Lavender Festival 2026” was launched, and the Lavender Festival Brochure was also released on the occasion. The Festival is being assisted by his team of HoDs and scientists, including Abdul Rahim, Dr. Asha Chaubey, Dr. Dhiraj Vyas, Dr. Shashank Singh, Dr. Sumit Gandhi, Dr Naveed Qazi, Dr Suphla Gupta, Dr. Saurabh Saran, Kaushal Kumar, Dr. Raj Kishore, Zahoor Wani, Rajesh Gupta, and Ashok Kumar.