Cultivating Aromas of Success - CSIR-Aroma Mission - Journey Towards Self-Reliance in Essential Oils and Sustainable Agriculture The growing global demand for natural essential oils and herbal products prompted the Government of India to launch an aroma mission in 2017. The mission's overarching objectives included producing high-quality essential oils, ensuring sustainability, adding value to products, creating employment opportunities, and enhancing farmers' incomes. This initiative was spearheaded by leading laboratories under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology.CSIR, led by CSIR-CIMAP as the nodal lab and associated CSIR labs. The mission has been implemented in a phased manner by CSIR institutes, and in every phase has had a specific focus, such as scientific intervention at farmers' fields, knowledge dissemination, deployment of technologies, improvement in infrastructure, capacity building, entrepreneurship development, start-up creation, and value addition. Phase 1 (2017-2020) : Foundation Building through Technology Introduction and Awareness The first phase of the CSIR-Aroma Mission laid the groundwork for transforming India's aromatic crop sector by introducing high-yielding and superior chemotype varieties to replace obsolete genotypes. Emphasis was placed on the multiplication and dissemination of quality planting material directly in farmers' fields, ensuring rapid adoption. Scientific efforts focused on the identification of elite genotypes with enhanced essential oil yield and quality, along with the development of robust agro-technologies tailored for higher productivity. Simultaneously, distillation outdated systems were replaced with improved processing units to enhance oil recovery and quality, including the fractionation of desirable compounds. Recognising the limited awareness among farmers and stakeholders, extensive outreach capacity-building programmes were conducted. These initiatives played a critical role in sensitising rural communities to the economic potential of aromatic crops, thereby diversification initiating and toward high-value agriculture. Phase II (2020-2023) : Expansion, Value Chain Strengthening, and Rural Industrialisation The second phase focused on scaling up the cultivation of aromatic crops to meet growing domestic and industrial demand. Expansion into underutilised and degraded lands was prioritised, supported by the deployment of high-yielding varieties suited to stress-prone environments. A key shift during this phase was the farmer-led multiplication of planting material, enhancing self-reliance and sustainability. Region- and environment-specific agro-technologies were further refined το maximise productivity across diverse agro-climatic zones. The mission promoted installation of the low-cost, fuel-efficient distillation units to improve processing efficiency and reduce emissions and operational costs. Importantly, this phase emphasised value addition and rural industrialisation by encouraging cottage-based enterprises and small-scale industries centred on essential oils and their derivatives. Training programmes were extensively on cultivation, quality conducted processing, and assurance, including ensuring the safety and standardisation of essential oils. These efforts collectively strengthened the value chain, improved market linkages, and enhanced farmers' income. Phase III (2023-2026) : Sustainability, Innovation, and Global Competitiveness The third phase was strategically oriented toward positioning India as a global leader in the aroma sector while ensuring sustainability and technological advancement. Priority was given to high-potential export-oriented crops and those capable of reducing import dependency. The mission advanced the development and deployment of socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable agri and processing technologies. A major thrust is on establishing model aroma clusters that integrate cultivation, processing, and value addition within a localised ecosystem. Efforts included developing climate-resilient, resource-efficient varieties supported by genomic resource development, alongside the adoption of precision agriculture techniques. Processing innovations such distillation systems, renewable energy-based units, and microwave-assisted extraction technologies are being promoted to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Quality assurance was strengthened through rapid analytical tools for essential oil profiling and the detection of adulterants, including synthetic compounds, supported by the development of pure as optimised reference materials. The mission also expanded into high-value product development for human and veterinary applications, ensuring safety through GLP-compliant toxicity evaluations. In addition, waste-to-wealth approaches such as the valorisation of de-oiled biomass and the utilisation of hydrosols for flavours and fragrances were emphasised. Digital transformation was integrated through interactive portals and mobile applications for agro-advisory services and market intelligence. Skill development programmes with a strong focus on entrepreneurship are enabling the creation of a vibrant, self-sustaining aroma-based economy. Overall Societal and Economic Impact Across its three phases, the CSIR-Aroma Mission has matured into a nationally transformative model of science-driven rural development, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge research with grassroots implementation and industry partnerships. By aligning innovation with farmer-centric interventions, the mission has delivered measurable gains in income enhancement, large-scale employment generation, import substitution, and export promotion, directly contributing to India's vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat in the aroma sector. Participating CSIR laboratories have played a pivotal role in strengthening the entire aroma value chain, from the development of high-yielding, chemotype-specific varieties to efficient essential oil extraction and the valorisation of biomass into high-value products. The mission's strong emphasis on waste-to-wealth approaches has enabled the conversion of de-oiled residues into commercially valuable derivatives, enhancing resource-use efficiency and industrial relevance. At the same time, focused efforts on quality assurance and standardisation have ensured that Indian essential oils meet global benchmarks. A defining achievement of the mission has been its success in import substitution, enabling India to achieve self-reliance in several essential oils. The country has not only reduced dependence on imports but has also emerged as a leading global producer and exporter of key oils such as lemongrass. Region-specific interventions have further amplified impact. Lavender cultivation in Jammu has created a new agri-economy and expanded to the North-East, including Meghalaya. At the same time, Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a major hub for marigold essential oil production. The mission's inclusive approach is evident in the establishment of over 20 tribal aroma clusters, which have created sustainable livelihoods in remote, underdeveloped regions. By promoting cultivation on rain-fed, marginal, and degraded lands, the initiative has brought more than 51,000 hectares under aromatic crops through more than 4,500 farmer clusters, focusing on high-value species such as lemongrass, geranium, lavender, rose, citronella, and vetiver. Key technological interventions include the development and deployment of improved agro-technologies (>80), the development of elite varieties (>50), the production of value-added products (66), and the installation of over 400 advanced distillation units, all of which significantly enhance productivity and oil recovery. Capacity building has been a cornerstone, with more than 2,000 training programmes benefiting over 1.25 lakh farmers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders. Collectively, these efforts have enabled the production of 5,000-8,000 tonnes of essential oils and value-added products, contributing an estimated 21,500 crore to the aroma industry and national economy, while generating close to one crore rural employment opportunities. The mission has generated a comprehensive knowledge base by advancing genomic resources for key medicinal and aromatic plants, elucidating the biosynthetic pathways of commercially important molecules, and developing strategies for resource-efficient, climate-resilient crops aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. In recognition of the outstanding achievements and the mission's transformative national impact, the CSIR-Aroma team was conferred the prestigious Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (Vigyan Team Award)-2025, underscoring its excellence in translational research and societal benefit. Future Roadmap of the CSIR-Aroma Mission: Towards Global Leadership and Inclusive Growth Building on the strong foundation established across its three phases, the CSIR-Aroma Mission is poised to enter a transformative phase that integrates sustainability, advanced technologies, and market-driven innovation to position India as a global leader in the aroma sector. The future roadmap envisions a holistic, end-to-end ecosystem that empowers farmers, promotes rural entrepreneurship, especially among women, and strengthens India's footprint in global essential oil markets. A central priority will be expanding aromatic crop cultivation by an additional 10,000 hectares, particularly in climate-affected, rain-fed, and underutilised regions. This expansion will be supported by sustainable, environmentally friendly cultivation practices that ensure optimal resource use, soil health, and resilience to climate variability. Parallel efforts will focus on developing region-specific, climate-resilient varieties to maximise productivity and returns. To achieve global leadership in high-demand essential oils such as vetiver and palmarosa, the mission will integrate advanced breeding, genomic resource development, and precision agriculture. A comprehensive national database of genomic resources and reference aroma molecules will be established to support research, quality assurance, and product standardisation. A major thrust will be on Technology-Enabled Model Sustainable Aroma Clusters, which will serve as demonstration hubs for end-to-end solutions, from cultivation to processing, value addition, and marketing. These clusters will act as incubation platforms, providing handholding support to farmers, women entrepreneurs, and start-ups, thereby accelerating rural enterprise development and strengthening cottage industries. Innovation in processing will be driven by the design and deployment of energy-efficient, renewable energy-powered distillation units, including next-generation systems for improved oil recovery and reduced environmental footprint. Simultaneously, waste valorisation strategies will be scaled up, converting distillation residues and hydrosols into high-value products for use in flavours, fragrances, nutraceuticals, and therapeutics, advancing a circular bioeconomy. The mission will also prioritise the development of rapid, field-deployable tools for assessing essential oil quality and detecting adulteration, ensuring authenticity and global competitiveness. Strengthening value addition and product diversification will support entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystems, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. From a market perspective, the roadmap emphasises reducing import dependency while enhancing exports, supported by strategic branding and global outreach under the "CSIR Aroma" label. Efforts will focus on accessing international markets, establishing quality benchmarks, and ensuring fair and remunerative pricing for farmers. Finally, the mission will deepen collaborations with key stakeholders, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, industry partners, and global institutions, to enhance technology dissemination, value chain integration, and market expansion. This article is written by Dr Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Mission Director, CSIR Aroma Mission Director, CSIR-CIMAP and Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR Secretary, DSIR. [Published in DREAM 2047 Major National Scientific Missions & Programmes (June-July 2026 / Vol. 06) : A magazine by Department of Science & Technology, GoI]