Ascent of Scent

Express News Service

It wasn’t until 2015 that incense making in India changed forever. Traditionally, it involved the hand-rolling of a thick paste made of jigat (gum), wood powder, charcoal and fragrance on sticks made with bamboo. But a flower recycling startup from Kanpur changed the key ingredient of incense, making it an organic, non-toxic (charcoal-free) perfume for homes and religious offerings. Kanpur-based Phool.co and Delhi-based Nirmalaya have today patented their proprietary flower recycling technology. They collect mountains of floral waste from some of India’s busiest temples for the purpose of incense-making.  

The new-age incense makers bring back the traditional method of making incense, which is by hand-rolling, done chiefly by women. “We proudly employ over 100 women through a micro-entrepreneurship model,” shares Bharat Bansal, one of the three co-founders and the CEO of Nirmalaya. 

Being one of the largest exporters of incense and fragrance products, India is on a path to benefit from evolving technology that not only deals with organic floral waste clogging up rivers and water bodies but also one that produces non-toxic incense that has swiftly caught on to the luxury product bandwagon internationally. Currently, India sends incense products to 160 countries, with the US, the UK, Malaysia and Nigeria as its top markets.

Every morning floral waste is collected and recycled into biomaterial and fragrance agents for incense with the help of patented technology, after which it is hand-rolled into various products like incense sticks, cones, havan cups and oils. “Agarbathi-making is a time-honoured tradition, once made in people’s homes,” shares Arjun Ranga, the Managing Director of Cycle Pure Agarbathi. The third-generation enterprise is deep in the fragrance business with a diversified product profile across perfumed items and has recently launched its own version of flower recycled incense stick variant ‘Pushkarini.’

Ranga, who also represents the All India Agarbathi Manufacturers’ Association, adds, “The production process has seen a sweeping change in the last two decades due to technological advancements. It has not only helped increase the yield but also presented opportunities for more employment.”

Indian incense holds a strong reputation in global markets for being top quality and offering a variety. Many other countries competing in the market sell largely non-perfumed incense. Beyond flowers to sandalwood, aromas are today available in the most intriguing product variety—cow dung, sambrani (plant resin), camphor, coffee and even fruits like pineapple, mango, cherry, green apple and its fusions with floral notes. Not to mention, in different forms such as sticks, cups, cones, coils and aroma oils.

“Yoga, meditation and therapeutic wellness have become important aspects of general wellbeing, triggering demand for incense from India in the international markets,” explains Anshul Agarwal, Director of Mysore Deep Perfumery House, which makes 30-million sticks every day. Nirmalaya created handmade havan cups in 2020 from cow dung and sun-dried flowers. Bansal says they have sold close to 12,500,00 havan cups to date. The company holds its recycling patent from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Incense making is still pretty much a  labour-intensive job, but there is a good reason for it. “The demand for the handmade variety in the international market is much higher than those made in a factory,” shares TS Sagar, who runs an export company in Bengaluru. Incense generates more persistent aerosols, greater particulate mass and a greater ratio of particulate mass to CO mass concentration than cigarettes, according to a study endorsed by the National Institute of Health. It could potentially increase the risk of lung cancer. 

This revelation demands innovative ways to tackle the problem, to make incense that is not harmful over prolonged use. Newer insence-making companies seem to be aware of its unhealthy effects, especially those made with charcoal. Carbon neutrality is taking precedence in the manufacturing and procurement of floral waste. For instance, Phool.co has developed organic leather from floral fibres. 
What’s more? Luxe and eco-friendly packaging of incense is driving business. And the global demand for organic incense from India is only set on an upward swing. 

Incense helps Achieve…
✥ A higher level of consciousness
✥ A meditative state
✥ Proper activation 
of body chakras
✥ Relaxation
✥ Mindfulness

Good to know 
✥ The incense industry employs a large women workforce, about 80 percent
✥ Agarbattis are categorised as a handicraft product in India
✥ Indian agarbattis are heavier than made elsewhere, hence contain fewer sticks 
in a packet
✥ Organic incense made from floral waste is charcoal-free

<br /> It wasn’t until 2015 that incense making in India changed forever. Traditionally, it involved the hand-rolling of a thick paste made of jigat (gum), wood powder, charcoal and fragrance on sticks made with bamboo. But a flower recycling startup from Kanpur changed the key ingredient of incense, making it an organic, non-toxic (charcoal-free) perfume for homes and religious offerings. Kanpur-based Phool.co and Delhi-based Nirmalaya have today patented their proprietary flower recycling technology. They collect mountains of floral waste from some of India’s busiest temples for the purpose of incense-making.  </p> <p>The new-age incense makers bring back the traditional method of making incense, which is by hand-rolling, done chiefly by women. “We proudly employ over 100 women through a micro-entrepreneurship model,” shares Bharat Bansal, one of the three co-founders and the CEO of Nirmalaya. </p> <p>Being one of the largest exporters of incense and fragrance products, India is on a path to benefit from evolving technology that not only deals with organic floral waste clogging up rivers and water bodies but also one that produces non-toxic incense that has swiftly caught on to the luxury product bandwagon internationally. Currently, India sends incense products to 160 countries, with the US, the UK, Malaysia and Nigeria as its top markets.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.81 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.81 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Every morning floral waste is collected and recycled into biomaterial and fragrance agents for incense with the help of patented technology, after which it is hand-rolled into various products like incense sticks, cones, havan cups and oils. “Agarbathi-making is a time-honoured tradition, once made in people’s homes,” shares Arjun Ranga, the Managing Director of Cycle Pure Agarbathi. The third-generation enterprise is deep in the fragrance business with a diversified product profile across perfumed items and has recently launched its own version of flower recycled incense stick variant ‘Pushkarini.’</p> <p>Ranga, who also represents the All India Agarbathi Manufacturers’ Association, adds, “The production process has seen a sweeping change in the last two decades due to technological advancements. It has not only helped increase the yield but also presented opportunities for more employment.”</p> <p>Indian incense holds a strong reputation in global markets for being top quality and offering a variety. Many other countries competing in the market sell largely non-perfumed incense. Beyond flowers to sandalwood, aromas are today available in the most intriguing product variety—cow dung, sambrani (plant resin), camphor, coffee and even fruits like pineapple, mango, cherry, green apple and its fusions with floral notes. Not to mention, in different forms such as sticks, cups, cones, coils and aroma oils.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.81 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.81 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>“Yoga, meditation and therapeutic wellness have become important aspects of general wellbeing, triggering demand for incense from India in the international markets,” explains Anshul Agarwal, Director of Mysore Deep Perfumery House, which makes 30-million sticks every day. Nirmalaya created handmade havan cups in 2020 from cow dung and sun-dried flowers. Bansal says they have sold close to 12,500,00 havan cups to date. The company holds its recycling patent from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.</p> <p>Incense making is still pretty much a  labour-intensive job, but there is a good reason for it. “The demand for the handmade variety in the international market is much higher than those made in a factory,” shares TS Sagar, who runs an export company in Bengaluru. Incense generates more persistent aerosols, greater particulate mass and a greater ratio of particulate mass to CO mass concentration than cigarettes, according to a study endorsed by the National Institute of Health. It could potentially increase the risk of lung cancer. </p> <p>This revelation demands innovative ways to tackle the problem, to make incense that is not harmful over prolonged use. Newer insence-making companies seem to be aware of its unhealthy effects, especially those made with charcoal. Carbon neutrality is taking precedence in the manufacturing and procurement of floral waste. For instance, Phool.co has developed organic leather from floral fibres. <br /> What’s more? Luxe and eco-friendly packaging of incense is driving business. And the global demand for organic incense from India is only set on an upward swing. </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.81 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.81 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Incense helps Achieve…<br /> ✥ A higher level of consciousness<br /> ✥ A meditative state<br /> ✥ Proper activation <br /> of body chakras<br /> ✥ Relaxation<br /> ✥ Mindfulness</p> <p>Good to know <br /> ✥ The incense industry employs a large women workforce, about 80 percent<br /> ✥ Agarbattis are categorised as a handicraft product in India<br /> ✥ Indian agarbattis are heavier than made elsewhere, hence contain fewer sticks <br /> in a packet<br /> ✥ Organic incense made from floral waste is charcoal-free<br />