India's agricultural exports have remained resilient despite global economic uncertainty, but the next phase of growth will depend less on volume and more on value. With new free trade agreements opening markets, rising demand for processed and GI-tagged products, and stricter global food safety norms, the country's export strategy is undergoing a significant transformation. In this exclusive interview with Harvir Singh, Editor-in-Chief, Rural World, APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev explains how India plans to expand its presence in global markets, integrate thousands of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) into export value chains, promote value-added food products, and build a globally competitive, future-ready agricultural export ecosystem.
Amid global uncertainties, what is APEDA's strategy for achieving India's long-term agricultural export goals?
India's agricultural exports have remained resilient despite global uncertainties, reflecting the strong fundamentals of our agriculture sector and the growing global confidence in Indian products. At APEDA, our focus is not only on sustaining this momentum but also on building a future-ready export ecosystem that delivers greater value to farmers, exporters and the economy. Our strategy rests on three key pillars: market diversification, product diversification and export ecosystem development.
On the market front, we are expanding India's footprint beyond traditional destinations by creating new opportunities across Africa, Central Asia, ASEAN and East Asia, while strengthening our presence in established markets such as the Gulf, Europe and the United States. We are also leveraging the opportunities created by various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to improve market access for Indian products.
Equally important is our shift from volume to value. While India remains one of the world's leading suppliers of agricultural commodities, APEDA is actively promoting processed foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, organic products, GI-tagged products, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods, millets, nutraceuticals and premium rice varieties that offer higher value realisation and better returns for farmers. A significant step in this direction was the creation of separate tariff lines for GI-recognised non-Basmati rice varieties from 1 May 2025, enabling focused promotion and improved monitoring of these premium products.
Quality and compliance remain central to our export strategy. We continue to strengthen traceability, testing infrastructure and adherence to international sanitary and phytosanitary standards through digital platforms such as Hortinet, GrapeNet, Peanut.Net and VegNet. At the same time, APEDA is facilitating investment in export-oriented infrastructure through convergence with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries' schemes and APEDA's Financial Assistance Scheme. Support is being extended for integrated packhouses, cold chain facilities, testing laboratories, processing units and quality certification.
Farmer integration is another major priority. APEDA has onboarded more than 1,400 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) into the export value chain. Through regular capacity-building programmes, we train farmers, FPOs, exporters and other stakeholders in Good Agricultural Practices, post-harvest management, packaging, food safety, quality standards and export procedures, enabling them to participate more effectively in global markets.
Which agricultural products and markets offer the greatest growth opportunities for India over the next five years?
The next five years present a significant opportunity for India to strengthen its position as a global supplier of agricultural and processed food products through market diversification and value addition. Recently concluded FTAs with the UK, UAE, Australia and Oman, along with ongoing negotiations with the European Union and New Zealand, are expected to further expand market access for Indian products.
Products such as rice, grapes, onions, mangoes, bananas, meat, processed foods, bakery products, sweet biscuits, preserved fruits and vegetables, and malt extracts offer strong export potential. Alongside traditional exports such as cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, there is rapidly growing global demand for GI-tagged products, organic foods, millet-based products, ready-to-eat foods, plant-based foods and other premium value-added products. Experience has consistently shown that exports of such products generate better value realisation for farmers while enhancing India's competitiveness in international markets.
How is APEDA helping diversify India's export basket beyond bulk commodities and marine products?
While rice, spices and marine products continue to dominate India's agricultural exports, APEDA is actively broadening the export basket by promoting high-value, value-added and region-specific products. The objective is to diversify both products and markets while creating greater value for farmers and exporters.
Fresh fruits and vegetables have emerged as a major growth segment. Exports increased from USD 1,527.63 million in 2021-22 to USD 1,921.42 million in 2025-26, representing growth of nearly 26%. During the same period, the number of export destinations expanded from 127 to 137 countries.
Market access has also widened for key horticultural products, with pineapple exports expanding from 22 to 31 countries and banana exports from 39 to 44 countries. In 2026, India also secured market access for fresh grapes to Vietnam.
Another major focus area is value-added products, including ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods, fruit pulps and purees, millet-based products, makhana, processed foods, speciality organic products and health-focused foods. APEDA is also collaborating with institutions such as NIFTEM, ICAR and the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) to support product innovation, improve processing technologies and develop export-ready products.
In parallel, APEDA is promoting cost-effective export logistics through sea shipment protocols developed with ICAR institutions, enabling successful exports of mangoes, pomegranates and bananas to distant markets. These initiatives are reducing logistics costs, improving competitiveness and expanding export opportunities.
What is APEDA doing to integrate farmers into global value chains?
Integrating farmers into global value chains is one of APEDA's core priorities. We are working closely with farmers and farmer collectives to strengthen their participation in export supply chains through training, infrastructure support and market linkages.
Smallholders and FPOs are prioritised under APEDA's capacity-building initiatives. Over the past three years, more than 1,500 export-oriented training programmes have been organised with active participation from FPOs. These programmes are conducted in collaboration with organisations such as NABARD, NAFED, TRIFED and SFAC, covering export procedures, quality standards, food safety, packaging and post-harvest management.
FPOs also receive enhanced support under APEDA's Financial Assistance Scheme (Bharat Krishi Niryat Yojana), including assistance for obtaining Global G.A.P. certification, which significantly improves the marketability of their produce in developed countries.
APEDA has also facilitated first-time exports by FPOs, both directly and through third-party sourcing. Over the past two years, more than 15 export consignments have been flagged off from FPOs across 14 states to 11 countries. In the current financial year alone, 10 such consignments have been facilitated, covering products sourced from Karnataka (millets), Jharkhand (Amrapali mangoes), Madhya Pradesh (GI-tagged Sundarja mangoes), Meghalaya (pineapple, ginger, honey and GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric), Punjab (fresh litchi) and Uttar Pradesh (green chilli, okra and gourds).
Under the BHARATI initiative—Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Innovation—the first export acceleration programme selected four FPOs for an intensive 120-hour training module covering all aspects of export preparedness. Building on its success, APEDA will soon launch a dedicated export acceleration programme for FPOs, offering structured training in market access, business scaling, regulatory compliance, packaging and branding.
How can India increase exports of value-added food products?
At APEDA, our focus is on building an ecosystem that supports this transition—from production and processing to quality assurance, branding and market access. We work closely with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), the National Horticulture Board (NHB), the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), state governments and other stakeholders to strengthen export-oriented infrastructure and improve industry competitiveness.
A key priority is expanding processing infrastructure through support for processing units, cold chains and irradiation facilities. These investments help exporters meet international quality and phytosanitary requirements while extending product shelf life and reducing post-harvest losses.
We are also helping exporters build globally recognised brands by promoting better packaging, branding and product positioning so that Indian processed foods and speciality products are recognised for their quality and distinct identity in international markets.
Market intelligence is another critical focus area. APEDA equips exporters with insights into evolving consumer preferences, enabling them to develop products aligned with global demand rather than simply exporting what is produced domestically.
These efforts are yielding encouraging results. Exports of processed food products reached USD 8.47 billion in 2025-26, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1% over the past five years. The share of value-added products in APEDA's scheduled product exports has also increased from 24.3% in 2021-22 to 29.3% in 2025-26, reflecting a gradual shift from bulk commodities towards higher-value exports.
How have recent Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) expanded opportunities for Indian agricultural exports?
Recent FTAs have significantly improved market access for Indian agricultural products across several major economies.
Under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which came into force on 15 July 2026, India secured duty-free access to 95% of the UK's agricultural imports, valued at around USD 85-88 billion. This places Indian exporters on an equal footing with competitors such as the European Union, South Africa and Vietnam, which already enjoyed preferential access. India's agricultural exports to the UK increased from USD 801 million in 2020 to USD 1.12 billion in 2024, and the agreement is expected to accelerate this growth.
Similarly, the India-Oman FTA provides duty-free access for 98.08% of tariff lines, while the India-New Zealand FTA offers duty-free access on 100% of India's export tariff lines. Under the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), covering Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, tariffs have been eliminated on several agricultural products, including nuts, sweet biscuits and fresh grapes. Switzerland and Norway together account for more than 99% of India's agricultural trade with EFTA countries.
Products expected to benefit include both traditional and emerging export categories. Processed and value-added foods such as sweet biscuits, bakery products, chocolate and cocoa preparations, sugar confectionery, sauces and other food preparations stand to gain under nearly all FTAs. Fresh produce including grapes, onions, bananas and nuts will also benefit from lower tariffs, particularly in Switzerland and the European Union.
High-value and niche products—including Darjeeling tea, premium Basmati rice, turmeric and curcumin, organic foods, millet-based products, GI-tagged products and plant-based convenience foods—offer significant growth opportunities in markets such as the UK, EU, UAE, Oman and Australia. Products such as frozen bovine meat, ghee, butter and eggs are also expected to benefit from improved market access under the Oman and EFTA agreements.
As importing countries tighten food safety and traceability regulations, what steps is APEDA taking to help exporters and farmers comply?
APEDA has developed a comprehensive ecosystem to help Indian exporters comply with evolving international food safety and traceability requirements while maintaining access to global markets.
More than 130 NABL-accredited laboratories across 21 states have been recognised for testing products against importing countries' requirements, including Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). Commodity-specific laboratory recognition ensures reliable pre-shipment testing and compliance with international food safety standards.
To strengthen traceability, APEDA has established end-to-end digital platforms for commodities such as grapes, peanuts, organic products and vegetables, enabling complete farm-to-export traceability. Farmers are registered and monitored by state governments, while processing is undertaken through APEDA-recognised packhouses and processing facilities.
APEDA also develops commodity- and country-specific export protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aligned with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements. These include export protocols for grapes to the European Union, peanuts and peanut products, and rice exports to China with mandatory GMO testing.
To strengthen compliance further, APEDA has recognised Food Safety Management System (FSMS) certification bodies and implementation agencies that assist exporters in adopting internationally accepted food safety systems. Regular capacity-building programmes are conducted on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), traceability, food safety and export compliance.
How is the US's 10% forced-labour tariff likely to affect India's agricultural exports?
The United States has consistently been India's largest market for agricultural exports over the past decade. India's agricultural exports to the US increased from USD 3.27 billion in FY16 to USD 5.03 billion in FY26, accounting for around 9% of India's total agricultural exports. During the same period, exports of APEDA-scheduled products to the US rose by more than 30%, from USD 1.15 billion to USD 1.49 billion.
India's experience during the previous tariff episode demonstrated the resilience of its agricultural exports. While the additional tariff may moderately increase the landed cost of Indian exports, its overall impact is expected to be limited. The effect will vary across commodities depending on their dependence on the US market, the availability of alternative suppliers and consumer demand. Several high-value Indian products enjoy strong brand recognition, established market presence and a loyal Indian diaspora consumer base, factors that are expected to support continued demand.
While the additional 10% tariff presents a short-term challenge, it is unlikely to alter the long-term trajectory of India-US agricultural trade. With continued policy support, expanding market diversification and progress in bilateral trade negotiations, India remains well positioned to sustain robust agricultural export growth in the years ahead.