Kashmir's Tulip Gardens Flourish with CSIR-IIIM's Mission for Sustainable Floriculture

The CSIR Floriculture Mission is one of the flagship initiatives designed to revolutionize floriculture practices across India.

Kashmir’s iconic tulip gardens, with their vibrant and breathtaking displays, have been a major attraction for tourists, particularly in Srinagar, where the flowers bloom in full glory every spring. These colorful fields are a symbol of the region’s rich natural beauty, drawing thousands of visitors from around the world. However, beyond the picturesque scenes, a new initiative is transforming the landscape of floriculture in the region—one that promises to bring significant economic benefits to local farmers and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Under the leadership of the CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, a prominent research and development institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, the region is undergoing a transformation in its floriculture sector. CSIR-IIIM has been implementing several societal mission programs that aim to enhance the livelihood of farmers and promote self-reliance in the agriculture sector. The CSIR Floriculture Mission is one of the flagship initiatives designed to revolutionize floriculture practices across India.

The mission focuses on multiple key areas, including the generation of high-quality planting materials for floricultural crops, expanding floriculture areas, developing urban floriculture, post-harvest processing and value addition, integrating floriculture with apiculture (bee-keeping), establishing marketing linkages, and domestication of wild ornamental plants. Through these efforts, CSIR-IIIM is working to improve the quality and quantity of flowers produced in India while boosting the incomes of farmers through research-backed innovations in floriculture techniques.

One of the most exciting and promising initiatives under this mission is the indigenization of tulip bulb production in India, an endeavor that has been launched at the Bonera Field Station in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. In 2022, CSIR-IIIM embarked on a mission to cultivate tulips locally, with a focus on producing high-quality tulip bulbs, developing agro-technological protocols for their cultivation, and expanding the crop in the region. Tulips, traditionally grown in temperate climates, have long been a favorite in the floriculture industry, but India has relied heavily on imports for its supply of tulip bulbs.

The initiative, which began with just 10,000 tulip bulbs in 2022, has been remarkably successful. In just two years, the Bonera Station has produced over one lakh tulip bulbs, grown across more than 12 kanals of land. This represents a significant leap forward in India’s ambitions to reduce its dependency on tulip bulb imports and foster a sustainable and self-sufficient floriculture sector. The development of indigenous tulip production not only reduces the reliance on foreign suppliers but also creates an economic ecosystem around tulip cultivation in the region.

Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, spoke about the significance of the project during a media interaction held at the newly established Tulip Garden-cum-Experimental Field at Bonera. He explained that the Bonera Station currently hosts eight different tulip varieties under ongoing strategic research programs. These programs focus on developing indigenous tulip bulbs, assessing the morphological characteristics of tulips, establishing agro-technological protocols, and evaluating different tulip varieties for resistance to biotic (pests and diseases) and abiotic (environmental) stresses. According to Dr. Ahmed, the goal of the project is not only to cultivate tulips but also to improve their resilience and yield under the region's specific climatic conditions.

“This initiative will not only reduce India's reliance on imports but also contribute to the creation of economic opportunities for local farmers. By fostering a robust domestic tulip industry, we are positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a hub for tulip bulb production, which will have long-term benefits for the regional economy and the floriculture sector at large,” Dr. Ahmed added.

The Tulip Garden-cum-Experimental Field, situated in the picturesque backdrop of South Kashmir, has become a major tourist attraction. In addition to its agricultural objectives, the project is seamlessly integrating floriculture with tourism, creating a unique experience that draws visitors from all parts of the valley and beyond. The public opening of the garden in the spring of 2025 attracted thousands of visitors who marveled at the vibrant colors and the meticulous farming techniques employed by CSIR-IIIM.

By linking scientific research with tourism, CSIR-IIIM aims to create a symbiotic relationship between agriculture and the local economy. Floriculture tourism has the potential to boost local businesses, create jobs, and enhance the region's appeal to both domestic and international tourists. This initiative also opens the door for farmers to diversify their income sources, offering them opportunities to enter new markets and boost their profits.

In the broader context of India’s vision for a self-reliant economy, as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, the tulip cultivation project represents a small but significant step toward achieving self-sufficiency in the floriculture sector. Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, has been a strong proponent of such societal mission programs. These initiatives aim not only to improve India’s scientific capabilities but also to enhance the socio-economic fabric of rural and semi-rural communities by providing sustainable livelihoods and improving agricultural productivity.

The CSIR Floriculture Mission, in general, and the tulip cultivation project at Bonera, in particular, stand as shining examples of how scientific innovation, local agricultural knowledge, and sustainable practices can come together to create economic growth while preserving the natural beauty and heritage of regions like Kashmir. The success of this project could serve as a model for other states and regions looking to harness the potential of floriculture as a tool for rural development.

As CSIR-IIIM continues to develop and scale up its floriculture initiatives, the hope is that the tulip gardens of Kashmir will not only continue to captivate visitors but also become a symbol of India’s flourishing floriculture industry, characterized by innovation, sustainability, and economic self-sufficiency.