Our aim is to take EOAI to the global level: Sanjay Varshney

India is the fastest-growing economy in the world, with essential oils and aroma chemicals playing a growing role in the global market. Large-scale production of these products is possible in an agricultural country, which can meet the needs of the entire world. Newly elected President of the Essential Oil Association of India, Mr.Sanjay Varshney, in a special conversation with Sugandh India, said that through the Essential Oil Association of India, he wants to give essential oil and aroma their rightful place in the global market. For this, under the Silver Jubilee bi-annual program of the organization, “World Aroma Ingredients Congress and Expo-2024” will be organized on 8, 9 and 10 February in Chennai, the cultural centre of South India. Its theme has been kept as “India: A Global Hub for Essential Oils, Fragrances and Flavors”. The conference is expected to be attended by 1500 delegates from across the country and the world, including representatives and scientists from all sectors related to the fragrance and flavour industry.

Mr Varshney said that thirteen hundred Indian and two hundred foreign delegates are most likely to attend the event. In addition, essential oil manufacturers and manufacturers related to flavour, fragrance, incense sticks, cosmetics, pharma and veterinary have also been invited. CSIR scientists have also been invited. A two-day technical session shall be organised in the presence of  Mr Shakti Vinay Shukla, the Chairman of Flavor and Fragrance Development Centre. In this session. Experts in the industry will respond to the queries and apprehensions of the delegates. In response to a question, he said that the Essential Oil Association of India has been closely associated with farmers, scientists and fragrance industry people not just in India but across the world. The EOAI has been giving new directions to fragrances and flavours at the global level.
————————————
Responding to a question regarding the challenges of the fragrance industry, Mr Varshney said that the government cleared challenges and bottlenecks, the result of which increased the ‘ease of doing business’. Now it has to be taken to the grassroots level. Small industries will also benefit from ease of doing business by bringing transparency. He complained about the bureaucratic red tape that’s nothing but a deterrent. He appealed to abolish Inspector Raj. In this way, doing this in GST also will be more beneficial for the industry. In response to a question from Sugandh India, he said that foreign delegates are coming in large numbers because India’s essential oil and fragrance market is now becoming global. In such a situation, the government should rationalize the customs duty. The government should think about this. Currently, there is a 20% duty on essential oils and a 7% duty on aroma chemicals. It should be rearranged. He said that the government is doing very little to increase exports, which is a good effort. India currently exports essential oils, fragrances and flavouring products worth more than Rs 7500 crore.