India’s honey mission gets Rs 500 crore push

New Delhi: The Government of India’s National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) is powering a “Sweet Revolution” across rural India by promoting scientific beekeeping and expanding the country’s footprint in the global honey market.

Launched under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, NBHM is a Central Sector Scheme implemented through the National Bee Board (NBB) with an outlay of ₹500 crore for FY 2020–21 to 2022–23. The mission has since been extended till FY 2025–26 with a remaining budget of ₹370 crore, reflecting the government’s continued focus on honey production, pollination, and rural livelihoods.

Beekeeping, a key component of India’s Integrated Farming System, provides sustainable income opportunities for farmers and landless labourers while improving crop productivity through natural pollination. India’s diverse agro-climatic conditions offer immense potential for expanding apiculture, which is increasingly seen as a critical pillar of agricultural diversification.

The NBHM operates through three Mini Missions focusing on productivity enhancement, post-harvest management, and research and technology generation. Its objectives include developing quality bee stocks, strengthening honey processing and storage infrastructure, ensuring product traceability through IT-enabled systems like the Madhukranti portal, and empowering women and small farmers through collective enterprises such as FPOs and cooperatives.

Progress under the mission has been significant. By March 2025, India had produced 1.4 lakh metric tonnes of natural honey, backed by new honey testing labs, processing units, and training initiatives across states. The Madhukranti portal has registered nearly 15,000 beekeepers and over 600 organizations and companies, ensuring transparent sourcing and quality control.

The country has also emerged as a global leader in honey exports, shipping 1.07 lakh metric tonnes worth USD 177.5 million in FY 2023–24, up from less than 60,000 MT in FY 2020–21. India now ranks as the world’s second-largest exporter of natural honey, behind only China.

Through NBHM, India is not only creating livelihood opportunities but also building an ecosystem that integrates science, sustainability, and rural enterprise — proving that the hum of bees can indeed power a revolution.