Aroma Mission | 29 Jan 2025

Source: PIB

The Ministry of Science & Technology said that the Northeast region as well as Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) have been on the priority list of the Aroma Mission.

About Aroma Mission: It was started in J&K and aims to boost India’s aroma industry by enhancing the cultivation of aromatic crops and production of essential oils. It is popularly known as the Lavender Revolution.
- Aromatic crops (like rose, peppermint) are plants grown for their fragrant oils, used in industries like cosmetics, aromatherapy, and food flavoring.
Focus: It focuses on the cultivation of high-value aroma crops such as lemongrass, lavender, vetiver, palmarosa, and others.
Related Initiatives: The Incubation & Innovation Complex (IICON) at CSIR-North-East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Jorhat was inaugurated to provide farmers with advanced technologies and facilities.
- CSIR-NEIST introduced aromatic crops across 5,000+ hectares in the Northeast and set up 39 essential oil distillation units.
Potential Impact: Targeted production of over 2000 tonnes of high-quality essential oils worth more than Rs. 300 crores annually.
- Expected to generate 60 lakh man-days of rural employment, and increase farmers' income by Rs. 60,000 to 70,000 per hectare annually.
Nodal Agency: The nodal agency is CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow.