CSIR-IHBT undertakes first ever monk fruit cultivation exercise in India

For the first time, India is going take up the cultivation of monk fruit (scientific name -Siraitia grosvenorii), which is currently cultivated in China only, despite its high demand.
Monk Fruit is native to southern China and is known for its properties as non-caloric natural sweetener.
Its sweet taste is due to cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides known as mogrosides, which is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose or cane sugar.
The initiative has been taken up by CSIR-IHBT (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology), located in Palampur, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh