Purple Revolution: lavender cultivation under CSIR's Aroma Mission in Jammu and Kashmir

State Focus Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Agriculture & Rural Science & Technology

Purple Revolution: lavender cultivation under CSIR's Aroma Mission in Jammu and Kashmir

Background

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh cited the Aroma Mission and the Purple Revolution on 13 October at the 13th All India Sustainable Mountain Development Summit, hosted by SKUAST-Kashmir, as examples of science-led livelihoods in Jammu and Kashmir.
CSIR developed an elite variety of lavender suited to the temperate regions of J&K, gave farmers free saplings and agro-technologies, and installed distillation units for essential oil.
The success of lavender cultivation in J&K earned it the name 'Purple Revolution'.
Bhaderwah hosts a Lavender Festival organised by CSIR-IIIM Jammu; at the 2025 festival Dr. Singh said 50 distillation units were operational there, supplying lavender products to Maharashtra and other states.
Lavender is also grown in areas such as Gulmarg and Padder.

Crop: Lavender Programme: CSIR Aroma Mission Distillation units in Bhaderwah (2025): 50 Lead institute: CSIR-IIIM Jammu

Why it matters for exams: The coloured 'revolutions' in Indian agriculture and CSIR's Aroma Mission are favourite one-liners.

Kerala PSCUPSCSSC

15 October 2026 Source: Press Information Bureau

In plain words

CSIR-IIIM CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine — A CSIR laboratory in Jammu that leads lavender work under the Aroma Mission.

Aroma Mission — A CSIR programme to promote cultivation and processing of aromatic crops for farmers' income.