Consumption of herbal agarbathis on the rise, says AIAMA president

India’s agarbathi industry, pegged at close to ₹10,000 crore, has been witnessing an uptick in the consumption of herbal (natural) incense sticks, said Ambica Ramanjaneyulu, president of the All India Agarbathi Manufacturers’ Association (AIAMA).

Mr. Ramanjaneyulu, who is also the managing director of Ambica Group of Companies, told The Hindu, “Currently herbal agarbathis accounted for 10% to 15% of the entire sticks produced in the country and this segment is seeing growth with more number of people, in India and globally, are moving towards herbal agarbathis.”

He said that over 70 herbs, spices and plants grown in forests are used in herbal agarbathi manufacturing. “Majority of these raw materials are available in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Assam, etc. while some herbs and forest items, including all kinds of resins and cinnamon and star anise, are imported from Indonesia and lavender and patchouli comes from various parts of Europe.’’

According to him, new, young and women consumers are mostly driving the trend of herbal fragrance globally.

India produces 15,000 tonnes of agarbathis every month which means 15 billion sticks are burnt every month in the domestic and exports market.

Mr. Ramanjaneyulu said the industry has seen a significant transformation in the last few years and is currently in the process of upgrading and innovating.

BIS certification

Earlier, Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, unveiled the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Certification for the country’s incense manufacturing sector.

“With the introduction of BIS certification, we are ensuring that Indian incense products meet the highest global quality standards. We aim to create awareness about the agarbathi industry, which has been falsely portrayed as harmful,’’ she said while inaugurating the industry’s annual exposition, AIAMA EXPO 2025, in the city on Thursday.

“The expo showcases how the agarbathi industry is evolving by combining traditional artistry with modern business practices,’’ said Arjun Ranga, chairman, AIAMA EXPO Committee 2025, and managing director, Cycle Pure Agarbathi.