Jammu, 04 September (H.S.): Ahmadabad based media delegation which is on tour to J&K, locally coordinated by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), visited the Industrial Biotech Park (IBTP), Kathua, to see the biotechnology, startup and agriculture-related initiatives being implemented through CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu.

The visit was part of the delegation’s ongoing press tour of CSIR-IIIM and its associated facilities, showcasing the institute’s work in taking scientific research from laboratories to farmers, startups, industry and society.

The delegation was briefed about the BioNEST Bioincubation Centre and Centre of Excellence (CoE) at IBTP Kathua, which provide support to technology-based startups and innovators through scientific facilities, mentorship and infrastructure for product development, testing and validation.

Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Saurabh Saran, PI, BioNEST IIIM-TBI, spoke about the incubation and entrepreneurship activities being carried out through the institute.

“Under the leadership of Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu and CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow, CSIR-IIIM is strengthening its incubation and innovation ecosystem by providing entrepreneurs access to scientific mentorship, research infrastructure and technical support to convert promising ideas into market-oriented products,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Suphla B. Gupta, Nodal Aroma Mission, apprised the delegation about the Aroma Mission and Floriculture Mission of CSIR-IIIM and the institute’s work with farmers in medicinal and aromatic plants.

She highlighted the promotion of lavender cultivation under the Purple Revolution, along with the development of quality planting material, scientific cultivation practices, post-harvest management, processing and value addition.

“CSIR-IIIM’s Aroma Mission has helped expand lavender cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir, with cultivation now spread over around 1,500 hectares and benefiting more than 5,000 farmers,” she said.

Dr. Gupta explained that the focus of the Aroma Mission was not limited to cultivation but extended across the entire value chain, from providing quality planting material and improving farm practices to harvesting, processing, distillation and marketing of value-added products.

“The institute has facilitated lavender oil production and value addition, with annual extraction crossing 4,000 kg of lavender oil, while revenues generated through the lavender ecosystem have exceeded ₹18 crore,” she added.

She said the availability of processing and distillation facilities had helped farmers and local entrepreneurs derive greater economic value from aromatic crops. The initiative has also created opportunities in areas such as oil extraction, product development, packaging and marketing, thereby generating additional avenues for employment and entrepreneurship.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar