New Delhi, Aug. 29 -- Demand for incense sticks has reached new highs, thanks to the countrywide surge in religious fervour. This has led to cheap imports which in a way has pushed back our indigenous agarbatti industry, reports News24.

An Economic Times report states that a high-level meeting in New Delhi this week will try to chart a revival plan for the indigenous industry. While, a proposal to hike import duties on round bamboo sticks or raw agarbatti sticks will be high on agenda.

Bamboo sticks form China and Vietnam has flooded the market through the last few years. Huge reduction in import duty on raw agarbattis under the Indo-Asean free trade agreement is to blame for it.

Assessments indicate that the domestic agarbatti industr...