Introduction
To unlock the multi-billion-dollar global perfumery and incense market, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 14 August 2026 released the official Roadmap for Agarwood Export Promotion from the North Eastern Region (NER), establishing high-tech processing clusters, scientific extraction units, and international trade corridors for Indian Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) and premium Oud oil.
North East India's Agarwood Monopoly
Northeast India serves as the ecological heartland of India's agarwood bioeconomy:
- Resource Concentration: The North Eastern Region accounts for 96.6% of India's estimated 139.89 million agarwood trees, with Assam and Tripura holding the primary commercial reserves.
- High-Value Applications: Resin-infused agarwood heartwood is globally prized as 'liquid gold' for high-grade luxury perfumes, religious incense, and traditional Middle Eastern oud fragrances.
- Institutional Framework: An Agarwood Export Promotion Cell was operationalised in May 2026 to assist cultivators with CITES export permits, digital traceability, and quality certification.
- PM-DevINE Support: Modern extraction and distillation clusters are being developed across Assam and Tripura under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE).
Key Facts
- Policy Initiative: Roadmap for Agarwood Export Promotion from North Eastern Region
- Resource Dominance: Northeast India holds 96.6% of India's 139.89 million agarwood trees
- Primary Producing States: Assam and Tripura
- Scientific Name: Aquilaria malaccensis (Endangered tree species listed in CITES Appendix II)
- Nodal Mechanism: Agarwood Export Promotion Cell & PM-DevINE funding
Exam Perspective
For TNPSC and UPSC examinations, this topic falls under Forest Produce, Agri-Exports, North East Development (PM-DevINE), CITES Regulations, and Biodiversity Trade in GS Paper III.
Conclusion
The Agarwood Export Roadmap integrates traditional tribal forestry with modern green extraction technologies, driving rural prosperity and establishing India as a premier exporter of certified sustainable oud products.