Doomdooma: Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati has been approved as an authorised export point for agarwood chips and agarwood oil, allowing exporters in Assam to ship the products through the airport.
The approval is expected to make transportation and export procedures easier for agarwood farmers, growers, processors and exporters in the state.
Assam accounts for around 81 per cent of India’s agarwood resources, with an estimated 12 crore trees. The industry supports the livelihoods of approximately 50,000 farmers and workers, according to information shared by the state government.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced the decision in a post on X on Saturday. He said the approval followed a request from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Goyal’s post read:
“BIG NEWS FOR ASSAM!
At the request of Chief Minister @HimantaBiswa ji, the Modi Government has approved Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport, Guwahati, as the export point for Agarwood chips and Agarwood oil.
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.
Many congratulations to our brothers and sisters in Assam as well as the North East.”
Agarwood is obtained mainly from Aquilaria malaccensis trees. The fragrant resin forms inside the tree following biological injury or fungal infection, producing dark, resin-rich wood. The chips are used as incense, while agarwood oil is used in perfumery, cosmetics and fragrance products.
Under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s (DGFT) revised export framework, Assam was allocated an annual quota of 1,19,400 kg of agarwood chips and powder and 5,560 kg of agarwood oil from artificially propagated sources through a notification issued in January 2025.
Assam flagged off a 123-kg consignment of agarwood chips for export to Dubai on October 26.
Golaghat district has also been included under the Centre’s One District One Product initiative for agarwood.
Agarwood exports remain subject to statutory requirements, including permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and documents verifying that the products come from legal plantation sources.
The approval of Guwahati airport as an export point is expected to provide exporters with an additional route for transporting agarwood products to international markets.