Dr. K. T. Chandrashekar is an Executive Director of Sandalwood Society of India in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Indian sandalwood is highly priced due to its fragrant wood and oil. It is used as a fixative in world class perfumes, aromatherapy, various pharmaceutical preparations and cosmetics. Sandalwood is next to ivory and used for carving. After liberalization of Sandalwood Act, farmers are very much interested and cultivating sandalwood in their farm and barren lands, along with horticulture/agriculture crops. In India. more than 1,55,000 acres of Sandalwood has been cultivated in agriculture lands. There has been a steady rate of increase at 10% and above. The demand of sandalwood in the tune of 20,000 metric tons and oil demand is estimated to 1000 tons in the International market. The society was informed with a mission to produce natural, sustainable and legal by ethical source of Sandalwood and end products to meet global standard quality by the involvement of farmers. entrepreneurs, scientists and end users.