Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, May 30

Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the fourth edition of the Lavender Festival at Government Degree College, Bhaderwah in Doda district on June 6 and 7, Director CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, Zabeer Ahmed said on Saturday.

Announcing the event during a curtain-raiser press conference at the institute’s Jammu campus, Ahmed said the festival will be held under the theme “Lavender Goes Global”, celebrating the success of the Purple Revolution and lavender-based rural entrepreneurship in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ahmed said the festival is being organised under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, a flagship programme of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, which has transformed lavender cultivation into a sustainable livelihood option across remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said that under the mentorship of Union Minister Jitendra Singh and the guidance of CSIR Director General and DSIR Secretary N. Kalaiselvi, CSIR-IIIM has engaged more than 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in lavender cultivation by providing free, high-quality planting material and technical support in cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing.

Ahmed said over 50 fixed and mobile distillation units have been installed across Jammu and Kashmir during different phases of the mission to support local processing of lavender produce.

During the curtain-raiser event, CSIR-IIIM also launched the official web portal of Lavender Festival 2026 and released the festival brochure.

Ahmed said the Lavender Festival has evolved into a national platform showcasing the transformation brought about by the CSIR-Aroma Mission in the Himalayan region, particularly Bhaderwah, which has emerged as a major hub of lavender cultivation under the Purple Revolution initiative.

He said this year’s festival will see participation by scientists, startups, aroma industry professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers, agri-business stakeholders, students, progressive farmers, and representatives of fragrance and wellness companies from across the country.

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 wider impact of the aroma sector, Ahmed said CSIR-IIIM has played a pioneering role in expanding lavender cultivation beyond Jammu and Kashmir to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern states through scientific interventions, free quality planting material, distillation technologies, training and entrepreneurship support.

He said the mission has benefitted thousands of farmers and young entrepreneurs and has also led to the emergence of women-led enterprises and startups.

Ahmed said the upcoming festival follows a series of precursor events aimed at strengthening the aroma ecosystem and market linkages in the region.

He referred to the recent aroma buyer-seller meet at the CSIR Innovation Complex in Mumbai, where leading aroma and perfumery companies interacted directly with lavender farmers, startups and entrepreneurs from Jammu and Kashmir.

He also mentioned an earlier buyer-seller meet held in Bhaderwah jointly by the Directorate of Ayush, J&K Medicinal Plants Board and CSIR-IIIM, focused on promoting direct farmer-industry partnerships and contract farming in the medicinal and aromatic plants sector.

Ahmed said these efforts have laid the foundation for a stronger aroma-based economy in Jammu and Kashmir by linking farmers with industry, startups and national markets.

He said Lavender Festival 2026 aims to further promote agri-based entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods and innovation in aromatic crops.

Several startups, farmer producer organisations, self-help groups and research institutions will showcase products related to essential oils, herbal wellness, floriculture, cosmetics, organic products and aroma technologies during the festival, he said.

The event will also include technical discussions on lavender cultivation, post-harvest management, essential oil extraction, branding, marketing and export opportunities.

Calling for broad participation, Ahmed said the festival represents not just a celebration of lavender cultivation but a movement towards transforming the rural economy of the Himalayan region through science-driven agriculture and entrepreneurship.

He invited farmers, students, startups, researchers, industry representatives, media professionals and members of civil society from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other parts of the country to attend the festival and witness the success of the Purple Revolution in Bhaderwah.

Ahmed also extended a special invitation to national and regional media organisations, journalists, digital content creators and documentary filmmakers to cover the festival and highlight the transformation of the Himalayan rural economy through lavender cultivation and aroma-based entrepreneurship.