India Incense Sticks Market Research Report and Industry Forecast

Market Overview:

The India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market size reached USD 1.2 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 2.1 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 5.30% during 2025-2033.

Incense sticks, also known as agarbatti and dhoop, are natural materials that emit fragrant smoke when burned. They usually contain extracts of the Commiphora wightii tree, herbs, ghee, and essential oils. They are commonly used in various customs and rituals to purify the air, generate positive energy, and remove negative energy from the environment. They are crucial in eliminating bad odors and cleansing the environment for sacred ceremonies. Agarbatti is an incense stick made from wood sawdust, fragrance oils, and water on a thin bamboo stick. In contrast, dhoop or dhoopbatti is produced from the extracts of Commiphora wightii trees combined with various herbs, ghee, and other fragrant materials. It is commonly found in the form of cones and thick sticks. The calming effect of the incense stick fragrance is also used as an insect repellent. As a result, incense sticks are gaining immense popularity in temples, churches, mosques, and monasteries across the country.

India Incense Sticks (Agarbatti & Dhoop) Market Trends:

In India, the market is primarily driven by the increasing consumer preferences for incense-based products for various religious, spiritual, meditational, and therapeutic purposes. Moreover, the widespread presence of numerous temples across the country that conduct various religious events and rituals represents another major growth-inducing factor. In line with this, the rising use of agarbatti and dhoop by these religious establishments in their daily spiritual and religious practices is positively influencing market growth. Additionally, key players introducing innovative fruity and floral fragrances like cinnamon, lemongrass, strawberry, and green apple have catalyzed the market growth. Besides this, the rising use of incense sticks for meditation, yoga, healing, and spiritual and aesthetic purposes has augmented the product demand. Furthermore, the launch of new fragrances, such as coffee chocolate, green tea, and jasmine, and the development of low-cost and low-smoke product variants are contributing to the market growth. Apart from this, the escalating demand for incense sticks from southern states of India due to the presence of a large number of temples is propelling the market growth. Other factors, including rising consumer disposable incomes, the easy availability of raw materials, and low operational costs, are also anticipated to drive the market further.

Key Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market report, along with forecasts at the country and regional level from 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on product type, demographics and distribution channel.

Product Type Insights:

• Agarbatti 
• Dhoop

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market based on the product type. This includes agarbatti and dhoop. According to the report, agarbatti represented the largest segment.

Demographics Insights:

• Urban
• Rural

A detailed breakup and analysis of the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market based on the demographics has also been provided in the report. This includes urban and rural. According to the report, rural accounted for the largest market share.

Distribution Channel Insights:

• Retail Stores
• Departmental Stores
• Specialized Stores
• Online Stores
• Others

A detailed breakup and analysis of the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market based on the distribution channel has also been provided in the report. This includes retail stores, departmental stores, specialized stores, online stores, and others. According to the report, retail stores accounted for the largest market share.

Regional Insights:

• North India
• South India
• East India
• West India

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include North India, South India, East India, and West India. Amongst these, South India was the largest market for incense sticks in India. Some of the factors driving the South India incense sticks industry are rich cultural heritage, large workforce with the necessary skills, making it a favorable location for incense production, favorable climate for the growth of aromatic plants, such as sandalwood, jasmine, rose, and lavender, which are commonly used in incense stick production, etc.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined with some of the key players being B. V. Aswathiah & Bros, Hari Darshan Sevashram Private Limited, Hem Corporation Private Limited, ITC Limited, Moksh Agarbattis Company, Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH), N. Ranga Rao & Sons Private Limited, Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Shree Kalpana Perfumery Works Private Limited, etc.The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market. Competitive analysis such as market structure, market share by key players, player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided. Some of the companies covered include B. V. Aswathiah & Bros, Hari Darshan Sevashram Private Limited, Hem Corporation Private Limited, ITC Limited, Moksh Agarbattis Company, Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH), N. Ranga Rao & Sons Private Limited, Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Shree Kalpana Perfumery Works Private Limited, etc. Kindly note that this only represents a partial list of companies, and the complete list has been provided in the report.

Report Coverage:

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market from 2019-2033.
• The research study provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market.
• The study maps the leading, as well as the fastest-growing, regional markets. It further enables stakeholders to identify the key country-level markets within each region.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the India incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.