The two-day Lavender Festival, organized by the CSIR – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), concluded here today at Bhaderwah, marking a significant milestone in the CSIR-Aroma Mission’s ongoing efforts to promote lavender cultivation and strengthen India’s aroma industry. On the concluding day of the 3rd Lavender Festival, farmers, investors, and industrialists participated in a field visit to Bhaderwah’s lavender farms. They observed local cultivation practices and witnessed a live demonstration of the lavender distillation process, gaining insights into the oil extraction process from harvest to final product. The group also toured aroma product manufacturing units, where raw lavender is transformed into value-added products such as essential oils, perfumes, soaps, candles, cosmetics, and air fresheners. The technical sessions on the concluding day featured inspiring success stories of startups and progressive farmers, highlighting the transformative impact of the CSIR-Aroma Mission on rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship. A dynamic Buyer-Seller Meet was moderated by Ms. Ruchita Rane, Strategic Alliances Head and Head of Territory Development for Jammu & Kashmir at the Vivek PARC Foundation. The event facilitated direct engagement among farmers, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders, building meaningful market linkages and exploring new business opportunities.

Farmers expressed happiness and renewed confidence following the field visits, live distillation demonstrations, inspiring success stories from startups, and interactions with industry representatives during the Buyer-Seller Meet. These experiences showcased the practical aspects of lavender farming and its potential to transform rural economies, especially in the remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir. The Deputy Commissioner of Doda, Harvinder Singh, graced the valedictory function as the Chief Guest. In his address, he praised the festival’s significant role in community empowerment and felicitated farmers, startups, and dignitaries for their valuable contributions, marking a successful conclusion to the two-day event. The Purple revolution brought a remarkable visibility to Bhaderwah and it was a fortune to whole Aroma team, when Hon’ble PM, Shri Naredra Modi mentioned about Lavender cultivation in his Man Ki Baat, he added.

Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM Jammu, in his valedictory address, highlighted the festival’s strong socio-economic impact. He noted that the CSIR-Aroma Mission has engaged over 5,000 farmers and entrepreneurs, with more than 3,000 families cultivating lavender across 750+ hectares. He emphasized CSIR-IIIM’s vital role in empowering rural communities—especially in remote areas—by providing free Quality Planting Material (QPM) and comprehensive technological support in cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing. Dr. Ahmed noted the emergence of a vibrant aroma industry centred around lavender, with value-added products such as essential oils, perfumes, soaps, and candles driving economic growth. He emphasized the role of women in this transformation through the establishment of lavender nurseries, promoting entrepreneurship and socio-economic upliftment. He further shared that over 9,000 farmers and entrepreneurs have been trained in various aspects of lavender cultivation and processing. Economically, the mission has yielded significant results, with Tehsil Bhaderwah alone generating ₹10.5 crore in turnover from 1,500 kg of lavender oil and 93,000 kg of dried flowers. Additionally, more than 50 distillation units have been installed across Jammu and Kashmir, boosting local processing and entrepreneurship. Pertinently, the 3rd Lavender Festival, was organised by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine at the Government Degree College, Bhaderwah on 01-02 June 2025.

The event was graced by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Vice President CSIR, as the Chief Guest, other distinguished guests present were Daleep Singh Parihar, MLA Bhaderwah; Shakti Raj Parihar, MLA Doda; Dhanater Singh Kotwal, Chairman, DDC Doda; Harvinder Singh, DC Doda; Sandeep Mehta, SSP Doda; and Mrs. Sangeeta Rani Bhagat, Vice Chairperson, DDC Doda and Arvinder Singh Reen, Director, Agriculture, Jammu, Ms. Ruchi Chauhan Khan, entrepreneur & a renowned Social Activist. The gathering was further enriched by eminent scientists such as Dr. Ajit K. Shasany, Director, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow; Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru; and Dr. Nanaocha Sharma, Director of the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal. The event drew wide participation from more than 1,200 personnel, comprising farmers, investors, academicians, scientists, public representatives, policymakers, startups, students, industry representatives, and members of civil society. The event was organized under the patronage of Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR & Secretary DSIR and under the overall supervision of Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, assisted by his team of scientists, technical and administrative staff, and students, including Er. Abdul Rahim, Dr. Asha Chaubey, Dr. Shashank Singh, Dr. Dhiraj Vyas, Dr. Sumit Gandhi, Dr. Suphla Gupta, Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed, Dr. Raj Kishor Rai, Dr. Saurabh Saran, Ajay Kumar, Rajesh Gupta, Ashok Sharma.