**Executive Summary**
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated a one-day Buyer-Seller Meet at the CSIR Innovation Complex in Mumbai on May 9, 2026, as a prelude to the upcoming Lavender Festival 2026. The event aims to strengthen market linkages and build a sustainable lavender-based enterprise ecosystem by connecting farmers from Jammu and Kashmir with leading aroma industries. Key objectives include addressing inconsistent product quality and bridging critical gaps between producers and the global fragrance market.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Event Overview and Objectives**
* Organized by CSIR-IIIM Jammu under the theme “Bridging Fields with Fragrance Innovation.”
* Designed to support the "Purple Revolution" and the CSIR Aroma Mission by connecting science with rural livelihoods.
* Focuses on establishing a complete value chain from cultivation to global aroma markets.
**Industry-Farmer Collaboration**
* Facilitates direct interaction between lavender farmers, particularly from the Bhaderwah region, and prominent industry players such as Kelkar, Ajmal Group, and Expo Essential Oils.
* Aims to align production with specific industry requirements and improve quality standards.
* Discusses opportunities for contract farming and provides insights into emerging market trends.
**Technical and Entrepreneurial Support**
* Includes technical sessions focused on lavender cultivation, processing, upscaling, and marketing aspects.
* Provides startups and farmers with information on essential oil extraction technologies and value addition.
* Offers awareness regarding various government schemes and startup initiatives linked to the aroma sector.
**Global Positioning**
* Encourages the development of aroma-based value-added products to strengthen India's position in the international fragrance and wellness market.
* Highlights the role of scientific interventions and distillation technologies in enhancing the livelihoods of youth and farmers.
**Impact Analysis**
**Lavender Farmers and Agri-Startups**
**Impact**
They gain direct access to leading industry stakeholders, reducing reliance on intermediaries and providing better understanding of market-driven quality standards.
**Action Required**
Participate in technical sessions to adopt improved distillation and processing technologies and engage in direct negotiations for contract farming.
**Aroma and Perfumery Industry Players**
**Impact**
Industries can secure a sustainable supply of raw materials that meet specific quality requirements while influencing the production cycle.
**Action Required**
Engage with farmers and startups to provide industry-oriented guidance and establish long-term market support.
**CSIR-IIIM and Scientists**
**Impact**
The institute serves as a bridge between research and commercial application, validating their scientific interventions and training programs.
**Action Required**
Continue providing scientific support, training, and technological interventions to address challenges like inconsistent product quality and weak market linkages.
Key Entities Referenced
CSIR Aroma Mission: A national initiative aimed at promoting the cultivation of aromatic crops to boost the fragrance industry and enhance farmers' livelihoods.
Purple Revolution: A transformative movement focused on the large-scale cultivation of lavender in Jammu and Kashmir to build a sustainable aroma-based economy.
CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM): The primary scientific institution responsible for organizing the meet and providing technical interventions and support for aromatic farming.
Jammu and Kashmir: The central location of the policy's impact, specifically the Bhaderwah region, which serves as a major cluster for lavender cultivation and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Jitendra Singh: The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology who inaugurated the meet and leads the overseeing departments.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates
Buyer-Seller Meet at IC Mumbai
Posted On: 09 MAY 2026 6:01PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and MoS PMO,
Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space and Vice President CSIR, Dr Jitendra
Singh on Saturday inaugurated the buyer-seller meet organized by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative
Medicine at CSIR Innovation Complex, Mumbai, as a prelude to the upcoming Lavender Festival 2026.
The one-day Aroma Industry–Farmer Meet brought together leading aroma and perfumery industries,
scientists, startups, entrepreneurs and lavender farmers, particularly from Bhaderwah and other regions of
Jammu and Kashmir, with the aim of strengthening market linkages and building a sustainable lavender-
based enterprise ecosystem.
Addressing the gathering through video conferencing, Dr Jitendra Singh complimented Director CSIR-
IIIM Jammu, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, and his team for organizing the Buyer-Seller Meet and said the initiative
reflects the growing success of the CSIR Aroma Mission and the Purple Revolution in Jammu and
Kashmir.
He said the Aroma Mission has significantly strengthened aromatic farming in the region and created new
livelihood opportunities for farmers and youth.
However, he noted that as the sector evolves toward a sustainable aroma-based economy, challenges such
as inconsistent product quality, weak market linkages and limited industry-oriented guidance still remain.
The Union Minister expressed confidence that deliberations during the Buyer-Seller Meet would help
bridge critical gaps between producers and the market.
He said the participation of lavender farmers, startups and aroma entrepreneurs from Bhaderwah and
adjoining regions would enable direct interaction with leading stakeholders of the perfumery and
fragrance industry.
Hon’ble Union Minister said several prominent industry players, including Kelkar, Ajmal Group, Expo
Essential Oils, BBK Specialities and Nishant Aroma, are participating in the event and engaging directly
with farmers and startups.
He said the platform would help align production with industry requirements, improve quality standards
and establish sustainable value chains with assured market linkages.
Highlighting the importance of international exposure, the Minister said the event would also help
stakeholders from Jammu and Kashmir develop aroma-based value-added products and strengthen the
region’s position in the global fragrance and wellness market.
He extended his best wishes to the organizers, participating industries, farmers and agri-startups for the
success of the event.Speaking on the occasion, Director CSIR-IIIM Jammu, Zabeer Ahmed said the institute is continuously
working to connect science with rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship under the leadership of Hon’ble
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, guidance of Hon’ble Union Minister Jitendra Singh and the personal
supervision of Director General, CSIR, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi.
Dr Ahmed said the Aroma Industry–Farmer Meet has been organized with the theme “Bridging Fields
with Fragrance Innovation” to create stronger partnerships between farmers, startups and industries and
promote a complete value chain from cultivation to global aroma markets.
He said CSIR-IIIM has played a key role in promoting lavender cultivation and aromatic crops in Jammu
and Kashmir through scientific interventions, training, distillation technologies and entrepreneurship
support, especially in regions like Bhaderwah which have emerged as important lavender clusters under
the Purple Revolution.
Dr Ahmed said the meet would provide farmers and startups with an opportunity to understand emerging
market trends, contract farming opportunities, essential oil extraction technologies, value addition and
entrepreneurship support. He added that participants would also gain awareness about various government
schemes and startup initiatives linked to the aroma sector.
He further said the direct interaction between industries and farmers would help ensure better quality
production, sustainable incomes and long-term market support for aroma growers and entrepreneurs.
The event witnessed participation from scientists, industry experts, startups, aroma farmers and
representatives of major perfumery and fragrance companies from across the country.
A spokesperson disclosed that during the meeting, the prominent industries leaders participated were
Ramesh Vaze, Chairman, S.H.Kelkar Group, Milind Deshpande, Ajmal perfumers, Kamlesh Shah, BBK
Specialist, Sandeep from Nishant Aroma, Kajal Shah, Fine Fragrances Private Limited, Gotam Mohanty,
Green Essence Extraction Pvt. Ltd., and Praveen Ghoghari, Sagar Aromatics and B.N. Tripathi, Expo
Essential Oils.
In the two technical sessions followed by open discussion, the challenges and future directions in the
Aroma Sector with main focus on the Lavender cultivation, processing, upscaling and marketing aspects
have been discussed.*******
NKR/AK/AV
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