The Sweet Aroma from the Land of Plenty.

Whether it is for religious purposes, medicinal value or simply for its pleasant fragrance, agarbatti is a product found across almost every Indian home. Today, the Indian market is flooded with agarbattis [also known as joss stick in China or incense stick in other countries] of various colours, fragrances and qualities. But, the market for agarbatti is not by any means limited to India. People across the globe, whether they be in US or UK, Malaysia or Ethiopia enjoy agarbatti as much as Indians do – opening up a global market for exporters.

Agarbatti, mostly a handmade product [in India], is exported to almost the entire known world from India. While many countries are known for selling unscented or raw incense sticks, India is known for its perfumed versions.

In India, a wide variety of agarbattis are available in different shapes, colours and fragrances at very competitive prices, from sandalwood to lavender, and rose to mogra. Buyers are practically spoilt for choice. Adding to the brag-bucket is the fact that India-made agarbattis are considered to be one of the best in the world – no wonder, we enjoy such a vast customer-base across the globe. So, how attractive is the market?

It’s in the air

The contribution of agarbatti to India’s exports business may not have attracted much attention as it accounts for a mere 0.04% of India’s total exports. But a deeper look at the numbers tells a story of a niche export product with tremendous potential. This product has seen a steady demand in overseas markets, irrespective of economic or political climate.

From India to the world

India exports most of it's Agarbatti to United States, United Kingdom and Australia and is the largest exporter of Agarbatti in the World. The top 3 exporters of Agarbatti are India with 68,487 shipments followed by China with 13,395 and Vietnam at the 3rd spot with 10,777 shipments.

Ancient practise

The practice of incense as a healing tool was assimilated into the religious practices of the time. As Hinduism matured and Buddhism was founded in India, incense became an integral part of Buddhism as well. Around 200 CE, a group of wandering Buddhist monks introduced incense stick making to China.

The oldest written source on incense is the Vedas, specifically, the Atharva-veda and the Rigveda, which set out and encouraged a uniform method of making incense. Although Vedic texts mention the use of incense for masking odors and creating a pleasurable smell, the modern system of organized incense-making was likely created by the medicinal priests of the time. Thus, modern, organized incense-making is intrinsically linked to the Ayurvedic medical system in which it is rooted.The method of incense making with a bamboo stick as a core originated in India at the end of the 19th century, largely replacing the rolled, extruded or shaped method which is still used in India for dhoop and cones, and for most shapes of incense in Nepal, Tibet and Japan. Other main forms of incense are cones and logs and benzoin resin (or ''Sambrani''), which are incense paste formed into pyramid shapes or log shapes, and then dried.