Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the Agri-Startup model of lavender farming as a transformational power, which re-written the story of entrepreneurship in remote and hilly areas, stating that Lavender has given a national identity to the small Jammu and Kashmir city of Bhadrawaha and also has a national role in India’s economic development.
“Bhadirwah, once a quiet hill city, is now a beacon of the rural startup revolution of India. Lavender has not just added the fragrance to these mountains-it has added identity, income and inspiration,” Singh inaugurated the 2-day lavender festival 2025, which has been organized by Jammu’s Jammu.
“This single mission has responded to several challenges,” Jitendra Singh said, “it has busted the myth that startups have been limited or required a foreign degree. In Jammu and Kashmir, our youth in Jammu and Kashmir can create passionate, personal, and consistent in-learning, and consistent in-learning.”
He proudly shared that young entrepreneurs in Bhadirwah have earned an average of Rs 65 lakh annually through lavender cultivation and price -added products, motivating many others to leave traditional jobs and pursue farming as an attractive business opportunity.
Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for presenting Bhadrawah and Purple Revolution on the national stage. Singh said, “When the Prime Minister dedicated about ten minutes to his ‘Maan Ki Baat’ to talk about this lavender mission in detail, it gave the best possible global introduction to Bhadirwah -one whom we could not imagine,” Singh said.
The minister insisted that it was the vision of PM Modi’s Startup India and Standup India, which was declared from the ramparts of the Red Fort, which had ignited the sense of entrepreneurship in areas that needed long clarification to justify their existence on the first developmental map.
Singh revealed that currently 50 distillation units are operational in Bhaderwah, in which lavender-rich products are being supplied in markets in Maharashtra and other states. The model has not only attracted attention from neighboring states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, but also from the north-eastern states whose representatives were present on the festival to attain insight for the first time.
He said, “This is a new paradigm that the world is watching-a rural, an agricultural-based startup revolution that is both scalable and durable,” he commented. Another myth that Jitendra Singh addressed was a misunderstanding that the startups are only for the youth. He shared that a special exhibition of entrepreneurs in the 60+ age group would be displayed in the next edition of the festival.
Drawing a comprehensive economic context, Singh said, “India has moved to the 5th largest 4th largest economy, and our rise will be further boosted in areas such as lavender cultivation. These unexplained areas, when strong, price joints and employment generation will become columns.”
He also addressed doubts around India’s economic flexibility among aggressive defense currencies. He said, “Despite challenging times and operations like Sindhor, India’s economy not only remains fierce, but has grown up. This is a suitable reply to doubt,” he said.
Concluding his address, Singh. The Zabir and CSIR-IIIM team were praised, which was to organize an unprecedented program in Bhadarwah, who attracted visitors from all over India. He invited everyone to visit Lavender Fields in the next 10-15 days during a peak bloom and listened to himself directly from entrepreneurs. (AI)
