Agartala, Jan 24 (NationPress) Union Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Saturday that as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for advancing the Northeast, numerous pivotal initiatives have been launched during his current visit.

During this visit, Scindia laid the foundation for an Rs 80-crore Agarwood Processing Cluster in Uttar Fulbari village, North Tripura. He stated that this project is designed to fulfill the Prime Minister’s goal of elevating local industries on a global platform, aligning with the 'Vocal for Local' and 'One District One Product' (ODOP) initiatives.

He emphasized that Tripura and Assam are the leading producers of agarwood in India, and this program aims to leverage the natural advantages of these states, enhancing the entire agarwood value chain from cultivation to the export of finished goods.

The Minister revealed that two Central Processing Centres (CPCs) will be set up under this initiative—one in Golaghat, Assam, and the other in Tripura. These centres will enable full-scale processing, branding, and marketing of agarwood products, eliminate middlemen, and guarantee that farmers receive the complete value of their produce.

Scindia mentioned that various actions have been taken to boost the global competitiveness of the agarwood sector. The process to obtain a Geographical Indication (GI) tag is ongoing, export quotas have been increased sixfold, agarwood chip exports have surged from 25,000 kg to 1.5 lakh kg, and agarwood oil exports have jumped from 1,500 kg to 7,500 kg.

Furthermore, all pertinent permissions and sites are being integrated into a digital platform to allow farmers direct access to international markets. He stressed that the main goal of this scheme is to remove intermediaries and ensure that benefits are delivered straight to farmers.

The Minister highlighted that nearly 90 percent of India’s 150 million agarwood trees are located in the Northeast, particularly in Tripura. This initiative is projected to enhance Tripura’s production capacity by 50 percent and could generate an annual sector turnover of Rs 2,000 crore, with direct access to global markets within the next three to four years.

To facilitate market access, buyer-seller meetings are being organized to connect farmers directly with international buyers. Scindia cited a recent engagement with buyers from Qatar as an example of such direct interactions. He stated that this initiative reflects Prime Minister Modi’s strategy of capitalizing on each state’s unique strengths and noted that sustained efforts over the past year are now beginning to show results.

The Minister expressed optimism that, in collaboration with the Tripura government, the agarwood sector can gain international acclaim and establish a benchmark for self-sustaining economic growth in the region.

Scindia also pointed out that since his arrival in Tripura on Friday, he has initiated several other developmental projects.

On Friday, he laid the groundwork for projects valued at Rs 220 crore, inaugurated projects worth Rs 220 crore, and assessed the Agartala Government Inter College project (Rs 192 crore) and the Maternal and Child Health Hospital (Rs 200 crore).

He added that on Sunday, he will lay the foundation for the Matabari Tourism Circuit project valued at Rs 280 crore.