Stopping imports of wood used in agarbatti can make India self-reliant: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that in future, India can become self-reliant in the wood used for making agarbattis (incense sticks) by stopping its imports. While addressing the International Buyer-Seller meet on Agarwood products of Tripura, he also said that the Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association can provide financial assistance to promote large scale rubber plantation in the state.
“In the future, by stopping buying the wood used for incense sticks from abroad, we will be successful in making a self-reliant India,” he said, adding that previous governments took some wrong decisions due to which the industry of incense sticks ended from the country, and incense sticks from other countries started coming to India.

“The government imposed some restrictions on the import of incense sticks, and today the manufacture of incense sticks has started in India,” he said.

Referring to the oil which is used in incense sticks as “a kind of liquid gold”, Goyal said the more its production is increased, it can generate employment on a large scale.

“Today the quota of 25,000 kg agarwood chips, and 1,500 kg agarwood oil has been released, this is just the beginning. This can be further extended to a large extent,” he said.

On the issue of rubber plantation, the minister said that Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association can provide financial assistance and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA)
can be linked to it and rubber can be produced through it.