Unlocking the global potential of vetiver: Integrating digital technologies for economic growth in India
Parul Jain, Suhasini Verma

Abstract: Background: Agriculture serves as a critical driver of economic growth in developing countries like India. India’s tropical climate is highly suitable for vetiver cultivation, a crop with significant global demand. However, despite its potential, the vetiver industry in India faces challenges in marketing and commercialization, limiting its ability to tap into lucrative domestic and international demand. This study investigates the economic potential of vetiver grass across three key sectors: root sales, handicrafts, and essential oil in domestic (India) and global markets and analyses use of digital technologies like blockchain, e-commerce platforms and social media to address the marketing and commercialisation issues.
Method: This descriptive study uses secondary data to assess economic potential of vetiver across value chain- roots, handicraft and essential oils. It also uses articles, literature, reports and secondary data to analyse how digital technologies can help vetiver producers to market their products and to sell their products not only in the domestic market, but also in global markets.
Results: The study found that the integration of digital tools, including e-commerce platforms, blockchain, and digital marketing, offers a working solution to these challenges. These technologies have the potential to address bottlenecks in marketing and distribution, ensuring the increased profitability of vetiver products in developing countries like India. The study provides actionable insights for stakeholders, to integrate the digital economy tools in marketing and consumer outreach of the vetiver products to improve the economic conditions of agricultural communities in India.
Keywords: digital economy; economic development; essential oils; handicrafts; vetiver
Citation: Jain, P. & Verma, S. (2026). Unlocking the global potential of vetiver: Integrating digital technologies for economic growth in India. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 32(3), 494–503
| References: (click to open/close) | Babu, R., Ramasamy, S. & Kumar, V. (2021). Vetiver grass: A green technology for sustainable environmental management. Environmental Sustainability Journal, 4(2), 123 – 130. Bariteau, L., Bouchard, D., Gagnon, G., Levasseur, M., Lapointe, S. & Bérubé, M. (2013). A riverbank erosion control method with environmental value. Ecological Engineering, 58, 384 - 392. Bhatnagar, P. (2020). Sustainable practices in vetiver cultivation and its global market trends. Journal of Agricultural Research, 15(4), 258 - 267. Chomchalow, N. (2001). The utilization of vetiver as medicinal and aromatic plants with special reference to Thailand. Technical Bulletin No. 2001/2, Pacific Rim Vetiver Network, Office of the Royal Development Projects Board, Bangkok, Thailand. Cindik, H. & Demirel, M. C. (2013). The use of vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) for erosion control and environmental protection. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 185(10), 8899 - 8906. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3211-6. Dhawan, S., Kaur, R. & Singh, N. (2021). Vetiver grass: A sustainable tool for soil conservation and phytoremediation. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 12(2), 89 - 96. Gao, B., Li, Z. & Yan, J. (2022). The influence of social commerce on eco‐friendly consumer behavior: Technological and social roles. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(4), 653 - 672. Ghosal, I. & Prasad, B. (2019). Inspiring digitalization of handicraft market: An empirical approach. Parikalpana: KIIT Journal of Management, 15(1 and 2), 199 - 209. Gupta, M. & Sharma, A. (2019). "Ver oil: A potential natural product for the fragrance and cosmetics industry". International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 16(8), 4195 - 4203. Gupta, R. & Narain, P. (1996). Vetiver grass: A versatile resource for environmental protection and sustainable development. Environmental Conservation, 23(3), 215 - 220. Irshad, M., Subhani, M. A., Ali, S. & Hussain, A. (2019). Biological importance of essential oils. In: Essential Oils-Oils of Nature. IntechOpen. Kikon, N. & Angami, T. (2018). Medicinal and aromatic plants for climate change adaptation: Scope and prospects with special reference to Northeastern Himalayas. Journal of Medicinal Plants, 6(1), 150 - 155. Kumar, P. & Gupta, R. (2021). "Sustainable cultivation and eco-friendly initiatives in the vetiver industry." Sustainability, 13(2), 267 - 278. Kumar, N. & Kumari, S. (2023). The efficiency of vetiver grass for slope stabilization and erosion control: a comprehensive review. Journal of Chemical Health Risks, 13, 3755 - 3767. Lavania, U. C. (2019). Vetiver system for soil and water conservation, environmental protection and land rehabilitation in India. Indian Journal of Soil Conservation, 47(2), 1 – 7. Patel, S. & Sharma, P. (2022). Technological advancements in vetiver farming: A roadmap to precision agriculture and sustainable production. Agricultural Sciences, 13(2), 145 – 157. Saha, S. & Patel, R. (2020). "India’s role in the global vetiver market: Cultivation, production, and trade potential". Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 10(3), 41 - 47. Shabbir, A., Saeed, M. & Ahmad, I. (2019). Aromatherapy and essential oils from vetiver: Traditional uses and therapeutic potential. Asian Journal of Chemistry, 31(5), 1030 – 1034. Sharma, N. & Mehta, R. (2020). Herbal Plants and Their Economic Contributions to India. International Journal of Horticultural Science, 28(4), 234 - 245. https://doi.org/10.4321/ijhs.2020.23. Sharma, A., Gupta, M. & Kumar, R. (2021). Vetiver oil: A potential natural product for the fragrance and cosmetics industry. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 16(8), 4195 - 4203. Shrivastava, R., Singh, A., Verma, S. & Agnihotri, R. K. (2024). Micropropagation of Vetiver: A Sustainable Approach to Production of Essential Oil. Journal of Plant Science Research, 40(3), 1 – 6. Silva, H. A., Santos, S. S., Tavares, S. S., Silva, J. E., Chander, S., Kharkwal, A. C., ... & Veiga-Junior, V. E. (2024). Production, Market and Bioeconom of Vetiveria zizanioides L. (Poaceae) Essential Oil. In: Essential Oils, 123 - 143. CRC Press. Singh, D. & Yadav, A. (2022). "The growth and potential of the global vetiver oil market". Journal of Essential Oil Research, 34(1), 89 - 97. Truong, P. N. V. (2000). The global impact of vetiver grass technology on the environment. In: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Vetiver. Office of the Royal Development Projects Board, Bangkok, 48 - 61. Vazquez Melendez, E. I., Bergey, P. & Smith, B. (2024). Blockchain technology for supply chain provenance: increasing supply chain efficiency and consumer trust. Supply chain management: An international journal, 29(4), 706 - 730. Xue, L. (2022). Designing effective augmented reality platforms to enhance the consumer shopping experiences. (Doctoral dissertation, Loughborough University). Yao, W. & Sun, Z. (2023). The impact of the digital economy on high-quality development of agriculture: A China case study. Sustainability, 15(7), 5745. |
|
| Date published: 2026-06-25
Download full text