Pulwama, June 01: Union Minister of State, Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Sunday commended the success of lavender cultivation in Bhaderwah town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, stating that the crop has not only given the region a national identity but also contributed significantly to India’s economic growth.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating the two-day Lavender Festival in Bhaderwah organised by CSIR-IIIM Jammu, Dr. Singh described the town as a beacon of India’s rural start-up revolution.
“A small town like Bhaderwah has carved out a unique identity for itself because of lavender. The cultivation of this aromatic crop has brought recognition not just across India but also globally,” Dr Singh said.
He added that what began as a small-scale experiment in Bhaderwah has opened new avenues for agri-startups in India, debunking the myth that one needs advanced degrees to venture into agriculture-based entrepreneurship.
Dr. Singh recalled the turning point in 2023 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated nearly 10 minutes of his Mann Ki Baat address to highlight the achievements of farmers in Bhaderwah. “That moment gave a national platform to this far-flung town in Doda, and soon after, other states began to emulate the model,” he said.
Today, around 3,000 startups are associated with lavender farming, transforming it into a promising source of income generation.
Dr Singh emphasised that the festival coincides with India becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy, and highlighted that untapped resources like aromatic crops, marine wealth, and Himalayan biodiversity are now being recognized as key drivers for future growth. “These sectors only received serious attention after Prime Minister Modi took office,” he said.
He expressed confidence that by 2047, when India aspires to become a developed nation under the Viksit Bharat vision, the people of this region will take pride in their contributions.
