Ouija Team

Both the founders are from Assam, a region known for its rich bio-resource diversity and traditions. Assam tea and silk are known globally and so is Assam agarwood, the source of exquisite aroma used in incense and perfumery as well as in oriental traditional medicine.  However precious little has been done to promote this important bio-resource, also called the Wood of the Gods. Agarwood production is a thriving rural agro-based industry that contributes sizeably to Assam’s rural economy. However the industry is plagued by lack of R&D affecting sustainable utilisation of the resource. This offers a great commercial potential to a venture that tries to bring in innovation and in the bargain uplift rural economy by benefitting 2-3 lakh direct community stakeholders. Therefore, we decided on this idea as a bright commercial venture with distinct social connects. While most R&D in agarwood has been aimed at resin inducement in the trees, we have instead targeted an intermediate step in the traditional process viz. fermentation that has remained largely overlooked.