New Delhi: The Centre has approved Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati as an export point for agarwood chips and agarwood oil, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on Saturday, in a decision the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has formalised through a notification.

Source: IANS

"The export of Agarwood oil and Agarwood chips (and allied products) has been permitted from LGBI (Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International) Airport, Guwahati," the DGFT said in its notification, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The exports will remain subject to all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine (DGFT notification)

Goyal said the approval was given at the request of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "BIG NEWS FOR ASSAM! At the request of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Modi Government has approved Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport, Guwahati as the export point for Agarwood chips and Agarwood oil," he wrote in a post on X.

Source: IANS

Calling it a big relief for farmers, producers and exporters, Goyal said: "This is a big relief for farmers, producers and exporters of this special product of which Assam is a leading producer. It is a massive logistical leap not only for Assam but also for the North East, bringing potential markets closer to home." He also congratulated the people of Assam and the Northeast.

Source: IANS

81%Assam's share of India's agarwood resources
123 kgAgarwood chips Assam exported to Dubai in October
50,000+Farmers and workers supported by Assam's agarwood industry

The decision follows Assam's export of 123 kg of agarwood chips to Dubai in October, which the state government described as a boost for the sector. Chief Minister Sarma had said that shipment marked a significant step towards expanding the international market for the state's traditional agarwood industry, which supports more than 50,000 farmers and workers. Assam accounts for around 81 per cent of the country's agarwood resources, according to the Chief Minister's Office.

Source: IANS

Agarwood is a rare, highly expensive fragrant wood formed in trees of the genus Aquilaria, widely described as Assam being the "Agarwood Capital of India". The chips are burned as traditional incense, while the oil is used in luxury perfumery, cosmetics and traditional medicine. The Middle East is the dominant market for agarwood, with other major destinations including Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Europe.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

With a direct air-export point now at Guwahati, Assam's producers will no longer need to route the high-value commodity through distant airports, a change exporters say should cut logistics time and cost for the Northeast's signature fragrance trade.