Despite being a leading producer of bananas, mangoes, and potatoes, India exports only a small share of its output, highlighting a critical gap between production and export performance. This joint report by APEDA and ICRIER presents an actionable roadmap to boost India’s horticulture exports by focusing on bananas, mangoes (and pulp), and potatoes (and value-added products). It analyses global competitiveness, benchmarks best practices, and outlines strategies including export hub development, logistics upgrades, market access, branding, and value-chain integration. The study aims to position India as a key player in global high-value agri-trade and support the $100 billion agri-export goal by 2030.

India is a major agricultural producer, yet it remains a marginal player in the global fruits and vegetable export landscape. India’s agri-export basket is majorly reliant on cereals which are sensitive to export restrictions, driven by food security concerns. This highlights the strategic need to shift toward high-value fruits and vegetables, which offer greater stability, fewer regulatory risks, and stronger global market opportunities. Despite being the largest producer of bananas and mangoes, and the second-largest producer of potatoes, India exports only a small fraction of its output--just 0.4% of bananas, 0.6% of mangoes, and 0.7% of potatoes. This stark disparity highlights a critical gap between production potential and global market performance. While India exported an average of $50.7 billion in agricultural commodities between financial year (FY) 22 and FY24, its horticulture trade recorded a trade deficit with imports at $2.7 billion outpacing exports of just $2 billion in FY24. In contrast, the global processed fruit and vegetable market continues to expand rapidly, driven by rising demand for convenience foods, health-focused diets, and premium tropical fruits. The knowledge partnership between APEDA and ICRIER aims to bridge this export performance gap through a focused strategy for select agri-commodities with this first volume on three agri-commodities namely--bananas, mangoes and mango pulp, and potatoes and its value-added products. This study offers a deep dive into these commodity value chains, evaluates export competitiveness using RCA and NPC indicators, benchmarks international best practices, and develops an actionable roadmap for tapping into high-value markets. With a long-term vision of contributing significantly to India’s ambitious $100 billion agricultural export target by 2030, this report emphasises structural reforms and strategic interventions to convert India’s production dominance into export leadership.