Centre plans to turn North-east into next saffron hub

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh yesterday said that Northeast is a key driver for India to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat and the region will also become the country’s next saffron hub.

Dr. Singh said that the government’s Mission Saffron initiative has since 2021 expanded saffron cultivation across Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.

For the ambitious plan, he laid down the foundation stone for the new permanent campus of the North



East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) in Shillong.

Dr. Singh said that large-scale cultivation is now underway at Menchukha of Arunachal Pradesh and Yuksom of Sikkim, with plans to extend to Nagaland and Manipur.

It will turn Northeast region as India’s next saffron hub after Jammu and Kashmir’s Pampore. The initiative strategically utilises uncultivated land, enhancing agricultural potential without disrupting existing crops.