Jyotiraditya Scindia Stresses Assam, Tripura's Value in Agarwood Sector During Visit

Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the Rs 80 crore Agarwood Value Chain Development Scheme at North Fulkabari in Tripura, on the second day of his three-day visit to Tripura and Assam.

Addressing the event, Scindia said the initiative is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed Northeast and aims to harness the region’s inherent strengths. He said several development projects were dedicated to the public on the first day of his visit, the agarwood value chain project was launched on Saturday, and the Rs 280 crore Matabari Tourism Circuit would be inaugurated on Sunday, describing it as one of the major outcomes of the visit.

The Union Minister noted that India’s agarwood production capacity is largely concentrated in Tripura and Assam, and the new scheme is designed to strengthen the sector in both states. He said the project would develop the entire agarwood value chain, from cultivation in farmers’ fields to finished products reaching international markets.

Under the scheme, two Central Processing Centres (CPCs) will be established—one in Golaghat, Assam, and the other in Tripura. These centres will enable end-to-end processing, branding and marketing, thereby eliminating intermediaries and ensuring that farmers receive the full value of their produce.

Agarwood To Go Global

Scindia said several measures have been initiated to make the agarwood sector globally competitive. The process for securing a Geographical Indication (GI) tag is underway, export quotas have been increased sixfold, and agarwood chip exports have been raised from 25,000 kg to 1.5 lakh kg, while agarwood oil exports have increased from 1,500 kg to 7,500 kg. He added that sites and permissions are being integrated onto a digital platform to allow farmers to directly access global markets.

Describing Fulkabari as a model for the ‘Local to Global’, ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘One District One Product (ODOP)’ initiatives, the Minister said India has around 150 million agarwood trees, nearly 90 per cent of which are located in the Northeastern states. He said Tripura’s agarwood production capacity is expected to rise by up to 50 per cent under the scheme.

Scindia expressed confidence that Tripura’s agarwood sector alone could achieve an annual turnover of Rs 2,000 crore within the next three to four years. To facilitate direct global linkages, buyer-seller meets are being organised, including a recent interaction with buyers from Qatar that directly connected local farmers with international purchasers.

Concluding his address, the Union Minister said the scheme reflects the Prime Minister’s focus on leveraging the unique strengths of each state. He said sustained efforts over the past year have culminated in the launch of the project and expressed confidence that, in partnership with the Tripura government, the agarwood sector would gain global recognition and contribute to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Scindia also highlighted a series of ongoing development initiatives in Tripura. On Friday, he laid foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth Rs 220 crore, reviewed the Rs 192 crore Agartala Government Inter College project and the Rs 200 crore Maternal and Child Health Hospital. On Sunday, he is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Rs 280 crore Matabari Tourism Circuit.