India- Global Processing Hub of Spices

India is the world's largest producer of spices. Since ancient days, India has been making available authentic high quality spices to gulf countries, Europe and other parts of the world. Indian spices are well known in international markets for their rich intrinsic qualities.

India, blessed with diverse agrolimatic conditions remains the 'Spice Bowl of the World', offering the largest range of spices and spice products to the global markets. The large number of cultivars and varieties of spices grown across the country, come with unique and rich intrinsic qualities, which are suitable for processing and value addition to meet the diverse global requirements.

Over the years, Indian spice industry has developed huge capacity for processing / value addition. The type of value added products includes masala powders, curry powders, curry paste, spices blends, spices mixtures, spices based seasonings, sauces, spice extracts, oils, oleoresins, spice based nutraceuticals, cosmoceuticals, medicinal products, etc.

The Govt of India is implementing 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY)', 'Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme' and 'Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme', to promote and strengthen the manufacturing capacities in food processing sector including spices.

Under Aatmar Nirbhar Bharat, the Self Help Groups, FPOs, Micro & Small Enterprises are promoted to establish spices processing / value addition units in the core spices growing regions / rural areas and promote their brands. Some of the Indian brands of value added products of spices are very popular in international markets. The Indian spice industry also remains a significant player as a supplier of spices and value added spice products to many major international brands through 'private labelling' arrangement.

The Indian Spices industry has been constantly strengthening it's processing and value addition capacity by adapting modern equipment and technologies, for sorting/ grading colour sorting, dehydration, freeze drying, cool / cryogenic grinding technology for retaining aromas, super critical fluid extraction for extraction of solvent free spice oils and oleoresins, steam sterilization, advanced packaging technologies including vaccum packaging, etc, for enhancing the quality, shelf life and assuring food safety.

Govt of India is promoting Food Parks / Mega Food Parks in various parts of the country in which food processing units including spices units have been provided with lands to establish their spices processing units.

Spices Board has established eight Spices Parks across India in the core growing regions and set up common processing and value addition facilities. Besides, the Board has allotted lands to spice manufacturers and exporters for establishing their spices processing units in the Spices Parks.

At present, India has a strong Manufacturing infrastructure for spices and more than 850 exporters of spices are registered with the Board as the Manufacturer exporters.

Global companies like Mccormick, Mane, NedSpice, Olam etc. have joint ventures in India and established spices processing units in India.

India exports spices/spice products worth more than 4 billion US$ at present and out of which more than 50% share is contributed by export of processed / value added products of spices.

India exports more than 200 spices and value added spice products to more than 180 countries.

In addition to the availability of larger volume of spices for processing / value addition and exports, India imports certain specific spices and herbs from other origins for value addition and re-export, mainly to satisfy the preference of global consumers in terms of desired product mix, taste, pungency, flavour, etc.

From the traditional supplier of spices in whole form (bulk), India has been emerging as the premier Global Hub for processing of spices.