The fourth edition of the famous Lavender Festival will be held on June 6 and 7 in the Bhaderwah Valley of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir. It will celebrate the “Purple Revolution” and the success of lavender-based rural entrepreneurship in the Union Territory.
The festival, themed “Lavender Goes Global,” will be organized by the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) and inaugurated by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.
“This year’s festival is being held in Bhaderwah on June 6 and 7. The festival will be inaugurated by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh,” Dr. Zabir Ahmed, Director of IIIM Jammu, told reporters here after launching the Lavender Festival 2026 web portal and releasing the event brochure.
Ahmed said that the Aroma Mission, a flagship program of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, has transformed the rural economy in many Himalayan regions by promoting the cultivation of lavender and aromatic crops. He said, “IIIM has implemented the Aroma Mission in Jammu and Kashmir by engaging over 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in lavender cultivation and related activities.” According to Ahmed, the institute is providing farmers and entrepreneurs in remote areas with free cultivation assistance, processing facilities, value addition, and marketing support, along with high-quality planting material.
He said that over 50 fixed and mobile distillation units have been installed across Jammu and Kashmir during different phases of this initiative to support local processing of lavender products.
Ahmed said that the Lavender Festival has emerged as a national platform to showcase the transformation brought about by the “Purple Revolution” in remote Himalayan areas, especially Bhaderwah, which has become a major hub for lavender cultivation.
He said that the two-day event will be attended by scientists, start-ups, entrepreneurs, policymakers, agro-business stakeholders, students, farmers, and representatives from fragrance and wellness companies from across the country.
He further said, “The festival will feature a start-up exhibition, live demonstrations, buyer-seller interactions, technical sessions, farmer-industry networking, and displays of value-added lavender and aromatic products developed by local entrepreneurs and start-ups.”
Highlighting the growing aroma sector, Ahmed said that IIIM has also promoted lavender cultivation in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the North-East states through scientific interventions, distillation technology, training, and entrepreneurship support.
He said that thousands of farmers and youth have benefited from lavender cultivation, while several women-led enterprises and start-ups have also emerged under this mission.
Referring to recent initiatives aimed at strengthening the aroma sector, Ahmed said that IIIM organized an aroma buyer-seller meet at the CSIR Innovation Complex in Mumbai, where major perfume companies interacted with lavender farmers and entrepreneurs from Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that the AYUSH Directorate, Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Board, and CSIR-IIIM jointly organized another buyer-seller meet in Bhaderwah, focusing on promoting direct farmer-industry partnerships and contract farming initiatives in the medicinal and aromatic plants sector.
He said, “These interactions have laid the foundation for a strong aromatic economy in Jammu and Kashmir by connecting farmers with industries, start-ups, and national markets.”
Ahmed said that the Lavender Festival 2026 aims to further promote agro-based entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods, and innovation in the aromatic crops sector.
He further stated that during the festival, several start-ups, farmer-producer organizations, self-help groups, and research institutions will showcase products related to essential oils, herbal wellness, floriculture, cosmetics, organic products, and aromatic technologies.
The event will also feature technical discussions on lavender cultivation, post-harvest management, essential oil extraction, branding, marketing, and export opportunities.
Calling people to attend in large numbers, Ahmed said that the festival is not just a celebration of lavender cultivation, but also a movement towards transforming the rural economy of the Himalayan region through science-based farming and entrepreneurship.
He appealed to farmers, students, start-ups, researchers, industry representatives, media persons, and civil society members from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other parts of the country to attend the festival and witness the success story of the Purple Revolution in Bhaderwah.
