Lavender gave Bhaderwah national identity, national role in India’s growth story: Dr Jitendra

Lavender has given the small J&K town of Bhaderwah a national identity and also a national role in India's growth story, said Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh here on Sunday while inaugurating 2-day "Lavender festival 2025" organized by CSIR-IIIM.

- ■STATE TIMES NEWS

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, and Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded the Agri-Startup model of Lavender farming as a transformative force that has rewritten the narrative of entrepreneurship in remote and hilly terrains.

"This single mission has answered multiple challenges," Dr. Jitendra Singh said, "It busted the myth that StartUps are limited to IT or require foreign degrees. Our youth in Jammu & Kashmir, in collaboration with CSIR-IIIM, have shown that passion, perseverance, and learning can build sustainable ventures rooted in agriculture.”

He proudly shared that young entrepreneurs in Bhaderwah are earning an average of Rs 65 lakhs annually through lavender cultivation and value-added products, motivating many others to leave conventional jobs and pursue farming as a lucrative business opportunity.