Bhubaneswar: Odisha will soon roll out its own herbal brand, “Kalinga Herbs,” to market products developed under the State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB).
The decision was taken at the sixth Executive Body Meeting of SMPB held on Thursday at the Home Department conference hall, chaired by Satyabrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department.
The launch of the brand forms part of a larger initiative, with the Executive Body approving the Five-Year Vision Plan of SMPB to strengthen the conservation, cultivation, and commercialization of medicinal plants across the state.
In his address, Sahu said the pilot year of the programme would be supported by the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society (OFSDS), while expansion from the second year onwards would be carried out through convergence with AYUSH, Panchayati Raj, SC & ST Development, and other line departments.
As part of the plan, a dedicated outlet for SMPB products will be opened at the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC), Bhubaneswar, to improve accessibility.
Odisha will also sign MoUs in November this year with the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bengaluru, the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, to strengthen technical collaboration.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Suresh Pant, (PCCF & HoFF), G. Rajesh (CCF, PPA), Gorakh Waman Kalunge (Director Horticulture), Anjana Panda (Director AYUSH), and Sudhansu Sekhar Khora (Chief Executive, RPRC), along with other members and invitees.
With the approval of the vision plan and the upcoming launch of “Kalinga Herbs,” Odisha is poised to give a structured push to its medicinal plant sector, aiming to create economic opportunities while promoting ecological sustainability.
