Is the company offering sandalwood buyback at fixed lakhs per tree genuine or a scam?

Be very careful. Sandalwood has one of the most common agri investment scams in India. A typical pitch promises a fixed buyback of several lakhs per tree after 12 to 15 years if you pay upfront for saplings, planting and maintenance on land you may never see. The red flags are a guaranteed fixed per tree price, advance collection of large sums, no clear answer on who owns the land, and silence on felling and transit permits. Heartwood weight and rates vary tree to tree and year to year, so no honest person can promise an exact future price. Before paying anyone, verify three things in writing. One, the land ownership and your legal right over the trees. Two, the felling and transit rules for sandalwood in that state, checked directly with the forest department. Three, whether the buyback is legally enforceable or just a brochure promise. If any of these is vague, walk away. It is safer to plant on your own registered land and treat sandalwood as a long term, uncertain bonus, not a guaranteed scheme.