CHEMEXCIL, MoDoNER & FFDC Unite to Drive the Future of India's Agarwood Industry

VMPL
New Delhi [India], August 12: In a significant step towards strengthening India's position in the global agarwood and fragrance industry, the Chemical and Allied Products Export Promotion Council (CHEMEXCIL), in association with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and with the Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj as Technical Collaborator, organised India's Premier Industry Summit on "Prospects & Export of Agarwood Oil from India" at Le Meridien, New Delhi.
The landmark summit brought together policymakers, senior government officials, scientists, researchers, exporters, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, international stakeholders and industry associations to deliberate on the future of India's agarwood sector, with particular focus on sustainable cultivation, processing, value addition, quality standards, technology, innovation and global market access.
The summit assumes significance as the North Eastern Region possesses a substantial share of India's agarwood resources and is emerging as an important centre for cultivation and value-chain development. The Government has also been advancing initiatives to strengthen processing, branding and direct linkages between farmers and international markets.
Distinguished Government and Industry Leadership
The inaugural session witnessed the presence of several eminent dignitaries, including Shri Sukanta Majumdar, Hon'ble Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region and Education; Shri Katikithala Srinivas, Secretary, MoDoNER; Ms. Mercy Epao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME; Dr. Satish Wagh, Chairman, CHEMEXCIL; Shri Vishal Ganju, Executive Director, CHEMEXCIL; Shri Angshuman Dey, Joint Secretary, MoDoNER; Shri S. V. Shukla, Director, FFDC Kannauj; Yogesh Dubey, President Fragrance & Flavour Association of India, Mumbai & Aroma Federation of India, Kanpur ,Dr. Rohit Seth, President, Sugandh Vyapar Sangh; and Shri Suneet Goel, President, Essential Oil Association of India.
The summit also welcomed Shri S. Satyanarayana, Director (EPCAP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Shri K. B. Singh, Inspector General of Forest, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change; Dr. V. M. Tiwari, Director, CSIR-NEIST; Shri Pravin Agarwal, PCCF, Forest Department, Shri Prasad Rao, Director, NTFP Centre of Excellence, Tripura; Dr. Renuka Thergaonkar, Director, R&D Global; Dr. N. P. Yadav, Scientist-G, CSIR-CIMAP; Dr. Mohan Lal, Scientist-F, CSIR-NEIST; Shri Chinmay Dwivedi, Director & Head, BIS; Shri Ashish Jhunjhunwalla, Managing Director, AFF Aromatics; Shri Kanwal Deep, Ajmal Group, Dubai; and Dr. Jehirul Islam, President, All Assam Agarwood Planters & Traders Association, along with representatives from government, research institutions, exporters, manufacturers and trade bodies.
Scindia's Vision: From Raw Material to Global Brand
Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Hon'ble Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), who was scheduled to attend the summit as Chief Guest, was unable to be present due to an unforeseen important engagement. His message to the industry, however, outlined a clear roadmap for transforming India's agarwood sector into a globally competitive industry.
The Minister emphasised five key priorities: building long-term market linkages for growers through FPOs and cluster-based organisations; investing in processing and value addition within the Northeast; strengthening technology partnerships in cultivation, extraction and distillation; establishing robust standards, certification, traceability and origin branding; and taking the unique story of Indian Oud to international fragrance houses and consumers.
His vision is aligned with the Government's broader push to take agarwood "Local to Global", with recent initiatives focused on strengthening the entire value chain--from trees on farmers' fields to processed products and international markets.
The Minister's message called for the North Eastern Region to move beyond being merely a supplier of raw material and emerge as the origin, science, quality and brand of Indian Agarwood.
He further called upon industry and institutional partners to work shoulder to shoulder towards building a strong, sustainable and globally competitive agarwood ecosystem in the Northeast, creating greater value for growers while taking the fragrance of Indian Oud to markets worldwide.
CEO Roundtable Identifies Industry Priorities
A major highlight of the summit was the CEO Roundtable, chaired by Shri Sukanta Majumdar, Hon'ble Minister of State for DoNER and Education, which brought together senior government officials, CEOs, exporters, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders from the agarwood and essential-oils sector.
The interactive session provided an opportunity for industry stakeholders to place key challenges directly before policymakers. Discussions focused on exports, regulations, certification, market access, processing capacity, technology adoption and the need for stronger industry-government coordination.
Responding to the concerns raised by industry, Shri Sukanta Majumdar assured stakeholders that the issues would be taken up seriously. He also proposed the formation of a dedicated committee comprising representatives from government and industry to examine the challenges and recommend practical solutions for strengthening India's agarwood export ecosystem.
Drawing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai," Shri Majumdar called upon industry leaders and experts to come forward and invest in the agarwood sector. He urged stakeholders to integrate cutting-edge extraction and distillation technologies, develop world-class brands and build global commercial alliances, while leveraging the larger vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and the journey from "Vocal for Local" to "Local to Global."
Technical Sessions Focus on Innovation and Global Competitiveness.
The summit featured a series of technical sessions involving experts and representatives from MoDoNER, FFDC Kannauj, EXIM Bank, CSIR-NEIST, CSIR-CIMAP, NTFP Centre of Excellence, AFF Aromatics and the Ajmal Group.
The sessions explored the current status and future prospects of agarwood in India, cultivation and inoculation techniques, processing and standardisation of agarwood oil, export capability building, value addition, scientific research, product development, quality assurance and the growing role of Indian Agarwood Oil in global perfumery.
The discussions highlighted the need to build an integrated value chain where growers, processors, researchers, exporters and international buyers work together to improve quality, productivity, traceability and market access.
India's ongoing efforts to strengthen the agarwood value chain include initiatives around processing centres, branding, digital permissions, increased export capacity and direct connections between farmers and global buyers.
Building the Global Identity of Indian Agarwood
The summit concluded with an engaging panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges surrounding agarwood cultivation, processing and exports, reinforcing the importance of collaboration between government agencies, growers, processors, researchers, exporters and industry associations.
The collective vision emerging from the summit was clear: the Northeast should not remain merely a supplier of raw agarwood to global luxury markets. Instead, the region must build capabilities across cultivation, science, processing, quality assurance, branding and international marketing to capture a larger share of the value generated by this high-value natural resource.
For India, agarwood represents an opportunity to combine its rich natural and cultural heritage with modern science, technology and global trade. The Government has already positioned agarwood as an important component of its Northeast development and "Local to Global" strategy, including significant investments in value-chain infrastructure.
The message emerging from New Delhi was therefore not simply about increasing exports, but about creating a globally recognised Indian Agarwood identity.
As the Minister's message aptly put it, the objective is to take the fragrance of Indian Oud to markets across the world while ensuring "Khushboo Bhi Humari Ho, Aur Naam Bhi Humara."
The summit marked an important step towards building a strong, sustainable and globally competitive Indian agarwood ecosystem, creating greater value for growers and communities in the Northeast while strengthening India's position in the global fragrance and essential-oils industry.
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