Walk into any supermarket today and the story jumps off the shelves. From sizzling hot chips in shiny packets to frozen fries stacked in frosty aisles, potatoes are no longer just a farmer’s staple — they’re the backbone of India’s fastest-growing snack and frozen food revolution.
India produces more than 60 million tonnes of potatoes each year, second only to China. Yet when it comes to processing — especially the two crown jewels, crisps (snack chips) and French fries (frozen potatoes) — India is still punching below its weight.
Plants are coming up across Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal, but the sector still lacks one critical ingredient: a unified voice.
Europe has one: EUPPA — the European Potato Processors’ Association. Since 1968, EUPPA has set benchmarks for quality, safety, sustainability, and exports across the continent. The U.S. has the Potato Association of America (PAA), which connects processors with public research institutions. India, on the other hand, has no such body to coordinate processors, farmers, and policymakers. That must change.
It’s time for a Potato Processors Association of India (PPAI).
The Case for an Indian Association
1. Policy Power
India’s potato processors operate in a maze of state-level rules — from procurement restrictions and uneven buy-back models to inconsistent norms around storage and cold chains. This patchwork leaves processors negotiating on uneven ground, while farmers face uncertainty about prices and market access.
A national association would give processors a single, credible voice in policy corridors. It could:
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Advocate for uniform frameworks for farmer–processor buy-back arrangements, ensuring protection for both farmers and processors.
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Push for processing-friendly incentives, including subsidies for specialized cold storage and tax benefits for export-oriented plants.
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Ensure potato processing is firmly placed on the government’s priority map, alongside dairy, rice, and other strategic food sectors.
With clear, fair, and stable policies, India can transform its vast potato output into a globally competitive processed-food powerhouse.
2. Certified Seed & GAP Standards
The road to world-class fries and crisps begins in the soil. Today, processors struggle with inconsistent seed quality and variable farming practices, leading to uneven tubers, rejected export consignments, and fry batches that shift from golden to burnt.
A PPAI could:
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Champion a national seed certification system, ensuring access to true-to-type, disease-free, variety-specific seed (Santana & Innovator for fries, Lady Rosetta for crisps, and other high-performing clones).
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Roll out Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) programs across farming networks, covering irrigation, soil health, pesticide residue limits, and harvest handling.
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Create a pool of GAP-compliant farms, certified and audit-ready, supplying both domestic plants and export chains.
By setting standards at the seed and farm level, India would deliver consistency, traceability, and credibility — traits global buyers demand.
3. Quality First
Not all potatoes are created equal. Fries demand long, high–dry-matter tubers for golden crispness. Crisps require low-sugar tubers, where even a small imbalance can cause burnt patches or acrylamide risks.
Right now, the absence of standards means processors face uneven supply, while exporters risk rejected consignments. A PPAI could:
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Establish India-wide benchmarks for processing-grade potatoes.
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Set up accredited labs to test dry matter, sugar levels, and residues.
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Introduce a “Processed Potatoes of India” seal as a mark of trust for domestic and global markets.
In processing, quality isn’t optional — it’s survival.
4. Research & Innovation
Behind every perfect fry or chip lies years of science. From breeding heat-tolerant varieties to oil-saving fryers, innovation separates commodities from world-class products. But in India, research remains fragmented.
Global models show the way. In the U.S., the Potato Association of America (PAA) demonstrates how processors can directly support public research. Processors co-fund varietal programs, validate clones under commercial conditions, and speed lab-to-market transfer.
India can replicate this. Through PPAI, processors could:
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Partner with the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) and its regional stations to co-fund future-ready varietal development.
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Create joint testing platforms where CPRI varieties are validated under processing conditions.
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Launch industry fellowships and research chairs in storage, food technology, and agronomy.
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Establish innovation hubs in Gujarat, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh to link science directly with processors.
By aligning CPRI’s scientific strength with industry’s market orientation, India can ensure research translates into competitive global products.
5. Cold Chain & Mechanisation
India loses up to 20% of its potato crop post-harvest, eroding profitability and reliability. For processors, this means unstable supply, higher costs, and missed export windows.
A PPAI could:
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Advocate for processing-grade cold stores with precision controls for fry and crisp varieties.
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Promote shared mechanisation clusters with modern harvesters, slicers, and graders.
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Train a cadre of skilled technicians for fry lines and cold stores.
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Push for renewable energy-driven storage to cut costs and emissions.
Regionally, western and northern hubs — Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh — anchor the industry today. Eastern states such as West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam can emerge as supply bases, while Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu provide off-season production windows, especially for crisping. Together, these regions give India a year-round advantage.
This infrastructure would deliver the industry’s holy grail: a steady, reliable supply of processing-grade potatoes.
6. Export Competitiveness
The world loves fries and crisps — and India has the scale to deliver. Yet its exports remain a fraction of Europe’s or North America’s.
A PPAI could:
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Launch a collective “Processed Potatoes of India” brand, signalling trust and traceability.
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Coordinate India’s presence at Gulfood, SIAL, Anuga, and Potato Europe.
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Work with the government to negotiate market access and align with global food safety standards.
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Build an export intelligence hub to track demand and SPS requirements.
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Position GAP-compliant, seed-certified supply chains as India’s USP.
With such a platform, India’s fry and crisp exports could more than double by 2030, transforming the country into a value-added hub.
What’s In It for Every Stakeholder
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Farmers → Assured demand, premiums for certified seed & GAP compliance, lower rejection risk.
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Researchers (CPRI & universities) → Funding, access to large-scale field data, faster varietal releases, stronger innovation pipelines.
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Industry → Stable supply, lower QA costs, export access, stronger bargaining power.
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India → Higher exports, rural jobs, reduced wastage, and a global reputation as a processing powerhouse.
Lessons from Europe and America
EUPPA’s members produce nearly 7 million tonnes of fries and potato products annually, employ over 25,000 people, and influence EU trade policy. Their strength lies in unity and standards. Meanwhile, the Potato Association of America (PAA) shows how processors can strengthen public research institutions, ensuring scientific breakthroughs reach farmers and factories quickly.
India can adapt both models to its own strengths: a vast farmer base, regional diversity, and global ambition.
A Fry-and-Crisp Revolution Awaits
India has the potatoes. It has the plants. It has the markets. What it lacks is the platform.
A Potato Processors Association of India could transform fragmented growth into coordinated success — linking farmers to supermarkets in Dubai, snack aisles in Nairobi, and freezer cabinets in Tokyo. By enabling farm-to-lab-to-market integration with CPRI and other partners, India can ensure its fries and crisps are not only feeding families at home but also competing proudly across the world.
(S. Soundararadjane is the Chief Executive Officer of HyFarm, a leading player in India’s potato processing and frozen foods industry.)