India being an agrarian economy, the food and beverages industries stands out as one of the largest industries in the country and holds the fifth position in terms of production, consumption and exports. The Indian food processing industry has been significantly growing with a diversified production base. The indigeneity of the Indian food processing sector is of the simple home-based techniques like fermentation have resulted in the creation of worldwide acknowledgement of the country’s various exported food and beverages.

The Indian export of agricultural and processed food products rose by 7 per cent in Fiscal Year 2019, in value terms, as compared to the previous year – with a significant increase in the export of dairy products and pulses. According to data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) – the apex agency for the promotion of food exports – India exported Rs 1.28 lakh crore agricultural and processed food products in the financial year 2019, as compared to the Rs 1.20 lakh crore worth exports in 2017-2018 fiscal.

According to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the export growth of Indian food products is the highest in the decade since 2013 – as it 21.3 per cent head of countries such as Indonesia, Brazil and China. The major countries where Indian food and beverages products are exported include Middle East, Southeast Asia, SAARC countries, the EU and the US.

The top ten countries where Indian food and beverages get exported are:

• United States of America (USA) –total export of $4581.16 million in 2018-19
• Vietnam Socialist Republic –total export of $3703.01 million in 2018-19
• Iran –total export of $2283.41 million in 2018-19
• China –total export of $2256.53 million in 2018-19
• United Arab Emirates –total export of $1907.86 million in 2018-19
• Bangladesh –total export of $1833.88 million in 2018-19
• Saudi Arab –total export of $1623.78 million in 2018-19
• Malaysia – total export of $951.67 million in 2018-19
• Indonesia –total export of $948.83 million in 2018-19
• Nepal –total export of $913.34 million in 2018-19

Among the most exported food and beverage products in the financial year 2019 were:

• Dairy products – which witnessed a rise in export by 72 per cent than the previous fiscal, to Rs 3376 crore in 2018-2019 as compared to Rs 1955 crore in 2017-2018
• Pulses – the export of which increased by over 22 per cent to Rs 1795 crore in FY19 as compared to Rs 1470 crore in FY 18
• Basmati Rice – which valued a total export of Rs 32806 crore in Fiscal Year 2019 and Rs 26, 871 crore in Fiscal Year 2018
• Non-basmati Rice – with total export worth Rs 20903 crore in 2018-2019
• Poultry products – with the export of products valued at Rs 687 crore in 2018-2019 as compared to Rs 552 crore in 2017-2018.

The Indian export of agricultural products increased to Rs 191.24 billion in September 2019 – which is significant growth from the Rs 189.70 billion worth exports in August 2019. The total export of agricultural products from India from 1991 to 2019 averaged at Rs 79.40 billion – with the all-time high export of Rs 284.83 billion in March 2019 and an all-time low export of Rs 4.95 billion in October 1991.

The major advantage of India in the export of food and beverages products is its locational advantage from the viewpoint of trade; since the country is in close proximity with Europe, the Middle East and Africa from the western coast, and Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The major government policies which boosted the growth of export of food and beverages from India include:

• Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Agriculture Export Policy – prepared in November 2018 – aims at doubling the agricultural exports from the country and integrating Indian farmers and agricultural products to the global market.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) plays a key role in boosting the country’s agricultural strengths and works towards expanding the export potential of the sector.

Categories of food and beverage products exported from India

• Marine food supplies – which include products like canned fish, fish steak, breaded shrimp, prawn crackers, freshwater eels, canned sardines, etc.
• Fresh, dried and preserved fruits – including products like mature coconut, husked coconut, papaya powder, fresh cranberries, bael fruit, custard apple powder, etc.
• Tea & coffee – including products like pomegranate tea, pearl milk tea, latte coffee, low sugar coffee, silver tips tea, assam tea, etc.
• Indian sweets & desserts – like gazak, badam burfi, assorted sweets, angoori petha, Indian sweets, milk burfi, etc.
• Pickles, jams & ketchups – which includes products like amla murabba, bitter gourd pickle, fruit puree, ginger pickles, cheese sauce, pizza sauces, etc.
• Fresh, dried & preserved vegetables – like iqf mixed vegetables, root vegetables, frozen broccoli, romaine lettuce, dried corn, red cabbage, etc.
• Cereals & food grains – like soya flour, moth dal, white bean, Thai jasmine rice, organic maize flour, unpolished rice, etc.
• Snacks and namkeen – which includes products like potato snacks pellet, masala peanuts, cassava chip, potatoes for chips, salted cashews, aloo lachha, etc.
• Chocolates, biscuits & cookies – like dry fruit chocolate, chocolate spreads, chocolate truffles, milk chocolate, amul chocolate, elaichi biscuits, etc.
• Milk & dairy products – like unsalted butter, pecorino cheese, dairy chemical products, rose lassi, sterilized flavoured milk, packaged milks, etc.
• Juices, soups & soft drinks – which include products like energy drink, litchi squash, packaging mineral water, mango juice, water can, mango squash, etc.
• Ready to eat & instant food mixes – like soup powder, tapioca chip, idli mix, kadhi pakora, premix soup, canned vegetables, etc.
• Edible oil & allied products – like organic flax seed oil, soybean oil, olive pomace oil, edible oil, fortune mustard oil, hydrogenated castor oil, etc.
• Bakery & confectionery products – like sweet buns, organic bread, handmade candies, caramel syrup, ice candy, candy bars, etc.
• Organic food grains & vegetables – including products like organic mustard seed, organic olive oil, organic products, organic potatoes, organic ajwain, organic long pepper, etc.
• Cooking spices and masala – like red chilli powder, ginger powder, five spice powder, natural saffron, garam masala, masala powders, etc.
• Meat & poultry food – like animal bones, halal frozen whole chicken, chicken drumstick, frozen chicken, broiler chicken, variety meat, etc.
• Dry fruits & nuts – like dried blueberries, bush nuts, dried papaya, blanched peanut, anbara dates, lwp cashew nut, etc.