Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that the Northeast’s vast bio-potential holds immense promise for India’s economic ascent, emphasizing that technology-driven interventions are transforming rural livelihoods across the region.
The Minister was addressing the Stakeholder-cum-Awareness Meet and Distribution of Quality Planting Materials under the CSIR-Aroma Mission and CSIR–Floriculture Mission, organized by the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) in Mizoram.
Highlighting the region’s natural advantages, Singh said the Northeast, with its rich biodiversity and unique agro-climatic conditions, could become India’s hub for high-value plant-based industries. He added that the Government is committed to transforming the region into an “Agro-Entrepreneurial Hub” by integrating modern science with traditional agricultural practices.
Citing the successful ‘Purple Revolution’ in Jammu & Kashmir—driven by the large-scale cultivation of aromatic crops such as lavender – Singh urged farmers and entrepreneurs in Mizoram and other Northeastern states to replicate the model. “The Purple Revolution has shown how science, when blended with local potential, can create new avenues of employment and entrepreneurship. The same success can be replicated in the Northeast to make it a centre of India’s aroma and floriculture economy,” he said.
Singh noted that initiatives under the CSIR-Aroma Mission and CSIR-Floriculture Mission have not only boosted farm incomes but also empowered women, engaged youth, and promoted rural industrialization, in alignment with the Government’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
The event was presided over by Dr. Virendra M. Tiwari, Director, CSIR–NEIST, Jorhat, who detailed the institute’s ongoing projects and achievements in Mizoram and other Northeastern states. During the programme, quality planting materials of crops such as lemongrass, citronella, chamomile, patchouli, anthurium, marigold, and chrysanthemum – along with bee boxes – were distributed to local farmers.
Senior state officials, including Ramdinliani, IAS, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of Mizoram, and representatives from the State Medicinal Plant Board and KVK Mamit, Lengpui, also attended the event.
CSIR–NEIST has been working extensively across the Northeast to promote the cultivation and processing of aromatic and floricultural crops. Through integrated models combining aroma cultivation, floriculture, and apiculture, the institute has helped enhance rural livelihoods and productivity.
As part of its continued outreach, CSIR–NEIST will organize a Training-cum-Awareness Programme on Aromatic and Floriculture Crop Cultivation on October 31, 2025, at KVK Mamit, Lengpui, where experts will provide hands-on training to farmers and entrepreneurs on modern cultivation and processing techniques.