India’s first-of-its-kind stevia processing plant inaugurated

N Kalaiselvi, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary, DSIR, Government of India, inaugurated the RJ Saints stevia processing plant at Singha village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh last evening. The plant, set up with technical support from CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, is India’s first-of-its-kind green processing unit with the capacity to process stevia leaves into steviol glycoside powder.

Stevia, a low-calorie natural sweetener about 300 times sweeter than sucrose, is a diabetes-friendly alternative to cane sugar.

Before the inauguration, Dr Kalaiselvi visited the stevia farms, where the “Him Stevia” variety, developed by CSIR-IHBT, is being cultivated over 200 acres. She observed the latest farm management techniques, including the use of drones for nutrient spraying.

Expressing her satisfaction with CSIR-IHBT’s comprehensive support to RJ Saints— from elite planting material to green processing technology. She acknowledged that this initiative had the potential to be a game changer, especially since India is the diabetic capital of the world.

Dr Sudesh Kumar Yadav, Director, CSIR-IHBT, highlighted the growing burden of diabetes, noting: “Worldwide, 540 million people aged 20-79 are living with diabetes, projected to rise to 645 million by 2030. India alone has 77 million diabetic adults. Since cane sugar is not recommended for diabetes patients, stevia provides a healthy alternative.”

He elaborated on the “Him Stevia” variety developed by CSIR-IHBT, which contains 14.5 per cent total glycoside content. He also emphasised the importance of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for higher yield and quality and detailed the green processing technology used to extract pure steviol glycoside from leaves.

Ravi Sharma, owner of RJ Saints, acknowledged his long-standing association with CSIR-IHBT since 2016, expressing gratitude for the institute’s support.

Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between CSIR-IHBT and Dhanwantari Gram Sangathan, HP, for establishing a distillation unit under the Aroma Mission. The event also witnessed the Transfer of Technology agreement with Mahalaxmi Malt Products Pvt. Ltd., Haryana.