#NationalBeekeepingMission #NBHM #SweetRevolution #BeekeepingIndia #HoneyExports #MadhukrantiPortal #AtmanirbharBharat #RuralDevelopment #WomenEmpowerment
New Delhi:
The National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) is bringing a new wave of prosperity to India’s rural landscape — one buzzing hive at a time. With an ambitious goal to usher in a “Sweet Revolution,” the government’s Central Sector Scheme aims to promote scientific beekeeping, improve crop productivity through pollination, and strengthen rural livelihoods across the country.
Launched under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in FY 2020–21, the NBHM has a total budget outlay of ₹500 crore and is being implemented by the National Bee Board (NBB) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The mission has been extended until FY 2025–26, utilizing a remaining budget of ₹370 crore to further expand its initiatives and impact.
🍯 Empowering Rural India through Beekeeping
Beekeeping — or apiculture — is more than just honey production; it’s a critical pillar of agricultural sustainability. It enhances pollination, boosts crop yields, and provides farmers and rural families with additional income through honey and other high-value bee products like beeswax, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly.
India’s diverse agro-climatic zones offer immense potential for honey production and export. Recognizing this, NBHM focuses on promoting scientific, organized, and technology-driven beekeeping as a means to double farmers’ income and create sustainable rural employment.
🐝 Three Mini-Missions Driving the Sweet Revolution
NBHM is implemented through three key Mini Missions (MMs):
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Mini Mission I: Focuses on increasing crop productivity through pollination and scientific beekeeping techniques.
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Mini Mission II: Concentrates on post-harvest management, including processing, packaging, branding, and marketing of honey and beehive products.
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Mini Mission III: Dedicated to research and technology generation to enhance beekeeping practices suited to various agro-climatic conditions.
🎯 Key Objectives of NBHM
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Promote holistic growth of India’s beekeeping sector for income and employment generation.
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Strengthen post-harvest and marketing infrastructure, including honey processing units, cold storages, and branding centers.
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Establish state-of-the-art Honey Quality Control Labs across major producing regions.
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Implement blockchain-based traceability systems via the Madhukranti Portal to ensure purity and authenticity of honey.
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Develop Honey Corridors in potential areas for cluster-based production.
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Empower women through training and participation in beekeeping cooperatives.
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Encourage agri-startups and entrepreneurs to innovate in honey production and processing.
🌼 Progress and Achievements So Far
India produced approximately 1.4 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of natural honey in 2024. The mission’s infrastructure achievements are equally impressive:
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6 world-class Honey Testing Labs, 47 Mini Testing Labs, and 6 Disease Diagnostic Labs established.
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26 Honey Processing Units and 18 Marketing & Branding Units sanctioned under NBHM.
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424 hectares covered under technology demonstration projects and 288 hectares under bee-friendly plantations.
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167 women-centric initiatives approved through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to promote gender inclusion.
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A National Centre of Excellence in Beekeeping has been set up at IIT Roorkee.
Additionally, 100 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) dedicated to honey production have been formed — 97 of which are already active — in collaboration with TRIFED, NAFED, and NDDB.
The Madhukranti Portal, a digital platform for traceability and online registration, has registered over 14,800 beekeepers and 269 honey societies as of October 2025.
🌍 India: The World’s Second-Largest Honey Exporter
India’s honey industry has seen a remarkable rise in global standing.
In FY 2023–24, India exported around 1.07 lakh MT of natural honey worth USD 177.5 million, compared to 59,999 MT worth USD 96.7 million in FY 2020–21.
Major export destinations include the United States, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Libya.
According to the July 2025 Honey Market Dashboard (jointly prepared by APEDA and Crisil), India is now the second-largest exporter of honey globally, climbing from the ninth position in 2020 — a testament to the success of the NBHM and India’s expanding apiculture ecosystem.
👩🌾 A Sustainable Path Forward
The National Beekeeping & Honey Mission represents more than a policy — it’s a movement for rural empowerment, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
By linking technology with traditional livelihoods, the mission is creating an ecosystem where farmers can thrive as entrepreneurs, women can lead cooperatives, and Indian honey can set new benchmarks in quality and purity.
As India buzzes towards self-reliance in agriculture, the “Sweet Revolution” promises to make rural prosperity not just a vision, but a reality — one hive at a time.
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