BHADERWAH: 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 today while inaugurating 2-day "Lavender festival 2025" organized by CSIR- IIIM.

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 ₹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.

Dr. Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing Bhaderwah and the Purple Revolution to the national stage. "When the Prime Minister dedicated nearly ten minutes in his ‘Mann Ki Baat' to talk about this Lavender mission in detail, it gave the best possible global introduction to Bhaderwah-one that we couldn't have imagined," Dr. Jitendra Singh said.

The Minister emphasised that it was PM Modi's vision of StartUp India and StandUp India, announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort, that ignited the entrepreneurial spirit in regions that previously needed long explanations to justify their existence on the developmental map.

Dr. Jitendra Singh revealed that there are currently 50 distillation units operational in Bhaderwah, with lavender-derived products being supplied to markets in Maharashtra and other states. The model has not only attracted attention from neighboring states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, but also from the North-Eastern states, whose representatives were present at the festival to gain first-hand insights.

"This is a new paradigm the world is witnessing - a rural, agriculture-based startup revolution that is both scalable and sustainable," he remarked.

Another myth that Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed was the misconception that StartUps are only for the young. He shared that a special exhibition featuring 60+ age group entrepreneurs will be showcased in the next edition of the festival.

Drawing a broader economic context, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, "India has moved from the 5th largest to the 4th largest economy, and sectors like lavender cultivation will further fuel our rise. These unexplored areas, when empowered, will become pillars of value addition and employment generation."

He also addressed skepticism around India's economic resilience amid aggressive defence postures. "Despite challenging times and operations like Sindoor, India's economy has not only remained buoyant but also grown. That is a fitting reply to skeptics," he asserted.

Concluding his address, Dr. Jitendra Singh praised Dr. Zabeer and the CSIR-IIIM team for organizing an unprecedented event in Bhaderwah that drew visitors from all over India. He invited everyone to visit the lavender fields over the next 10-15 days during peak bloom and hear directly from the entrepreneurs themselves.

"Bhaderwah, once a quiet hilly town, is now a beacon of India's rural startup revolution. Lavender has not just added fragrance to these mountains-it has added identity, income, and inspiration." Says Dr. Jitendra Singh