Jitendra Singh at Lavender Festival 2026, Bhaderwah
Synopsis
At Lavender Festival 2026 in Bhaderwah, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh attended a CSIR-IIIM exhibition themed 'Lavender Goes Global', celebrating the Purple Revolution's growth into a nationally recognised agri-entrepreneurship model backed by PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat and a Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar.
Key Takeaways
Jitendra Singh attended Lavender Festival 2026 in Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir on 6 June 2026 .
CSIR-IIIM organised an exhibition themed 'Lavender Goes Global' , framing the Purple Revolution as a national model for agri-entrepreneurship.
The initiative has received recognition in PM Modi 's Mann Ki Baat , the Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar from the President of India, and a Republic Day tableau slot.
The CSIR Aroma Mission , launched in 2016 , underpins the lavender cultivation push in Jammu and Kashmir and Himalayan states.
Senior attendees included BCCI President Mithun Manhas , CSIR DG Dr.
Kalaiselvi , CSIR-IIIM Director Dr.
Zaheer Ahmed , and MLAs Dalip Singh Parihar and Shakti Raj Parihar .
The 'goes global' theme signals intent to link Indian lavender farmers to international markets and export value chains.
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh visited Bhaderwah on 6 June 2026 to attend the Lavender Festival 2026, where a CSIR-IIIM-organised exhibition themed 'Lavender Goes Global' showcased the Purple Revolution as a national model for agri-entrepreneurship.
Context
The exhibition at Bhaderwah, held under the banner of CSIR-IIIM (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine), presented the lavender cultivation movement as a replicable success story now inspiring farmers and startups across India. Dr. Singh noted that the initiative has earned recognition through Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat radio address, the Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar conferred by the President of India, and a slot in the Republic Day tableau.
The minister was accompanied by BCCI President Mithun Manhas, described as a 'son of the soil', along with MLAs Dalip Singh Parihar and Shakti Raj Parihar, CSIR Director General Dr. Kalaiselvi, and CSIR-IIIM Director Dr. Zaheer Ahmed.
Policy Backdrop
Bhaderwah, in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, was the first site of large-scale lavender cultivation clusters guided by CSIR-IIIM. The effort grew out of the CSIR Aroma Mission, launched in 2016, which introduced lavender and other high-value aromatic crops in Jammu and Kashmir and Himalayan states as an alternative to low-income staple farming.
The Purple Revolution — the popular name for this agri-entrepreneurship model — has since been scaled beyond its Bhaderwah origins, with CSIR laboratories working to extend aromatic and medicinal plant clusters to other hill districts and states. The model converts laboratory research into field-level enterprise, creating supply chains for essential oils and allied products.
Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries of the Purple Revolution are Jammu and Kashmir farmers, rural youth, and agri-startups that have built processing and marketing businesses around lavender essential oil. The national recognition — through Mann Ki Baat, a presidential award, and the Republic Day tableau — has amplified visibility and encouraged replication in other Himalayan states.
The 'Lavender Goes Global' theme of the exhibition signals an ambition to connect Indian lavender growers to international markets, positioning the crop not merely as a domestic income-diversification tool but as an export-oriented value chain.
What's Next
Attention will now turn to whether CSIR and the Ministry of Science and Technology announce formal expansion of aromatic crop clusters to additional Himalayan states, and whether new processing or marketing linkages are established to support the 'goes global' positioning articulated at the festival. The presence of senior CSIR leadership — DG Dr. Kalaiselvi and Director Dr. Zaheer Ahmed — alongside political representatives suggests coordinated institutional momentum behind the next phase of the programme.
Point of View
A region where rural economic integration carries political as well as developmental weight. Framing the Purple Revolution as a 'national model' and invoking Prime Ministerial and Presidential recognition is a deliberate effort to elevate a regional success story into a template for replication across Himalayan states. The 'Lavender Goes Global' theme marks a shift in ambition — from domestic income diversification to export-linked value chains — which, if backed by concrete trade facilitation, could represent a meaningful escalation of the Aroma Mission's scope. The high-profile attendance of CSIR leadership alongside elected representatives suggests the programme is entering a phase of renewed institutional push rather than routine commemoration.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Purple Revolution in India?
The Purple Revolution is a lavender-based agri-entrepreneurship model that began in Bhaderwah, Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, under CSIR-IIIM guidance and the CSIR Aroma Mission launched in 2016. It has since been recognised nationally through PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat and a Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar.
What is CSIR-IIIM and what does it do?
CSIR-IIIM stands for the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, a CSIR laboratory based in Jammu. It leads research and field extension work on medicinal and aromatic crops, including lavender, and has driven the Purple Revolution in Jammu and Kashmir.
What is the CSIR Aroma Mission?
The CSIR Aroma Mission is a national programme launched in 2016 to expand cultivation of aromatic plants such as lavender in Jammu and Kashmir and Himalayan states, aiming to boost farmer incomes through high-value essential oil crops.
Why is Bhaderwah famous for lavender?
Bhaderwah in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, was the first site of large-scale lavender cultivation under CSIR-IIIM guidance. Its agro-climatic conditions proved suitable for lavender, and the success there gave rise to the nationally recognised Purple Revolution.
Who attended Lavender Festival 2026 in Bhaderwah?
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh attended alongside BCCI President Mithun Manhas, MLAs Dalip Singh Parihar and Shakti Raj Parihar, CSIR Director General Dr. Kalaiselvi, and CSIR-IIIM Director Dr. Zaheer Ahmed.
