India’s Spice Powerhouse: Tradition, Innovation, and Global Reach

India, the Land of Spices, dominates global spice production and exports, contributing significantly to agricultural trade. With exports worth over USD 4.45 billion in FY 2024–25, India supplies 225+ spice varieties to 200 countries. Key producers include Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Government initiatives like the SPICED scheme and Spices Parks drive innovation, sustainability, and global competitiveness.

India’s legacy as the “Land of Spices” continues to flourish, cementing its status as the world’s top producer, consumer, and exporter of spices. Out of 109 varieties recognized globally by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), more than 60 are cultivated across regions of India. The spice industry is a cornerstone of the agricultural economy, contributing around 9% to India’s total agricultural exports and more than 40% of horticultural exports. With a trade network extending to over 200 countries, the nation exports more than 225 distinct spice products—ranging from raw forms to value-added goods—affirming its leadership in the global spice trade. Beyond their culinary role, these aromatic treasures have been prized for centuries for their medicinal value, making them a vital part of both Indian tradition and modern wellness trends.

Export Trends: Spicing Up Global Markets

India continues to dominate the global spice market, recording exports worth USD 4.45 billion in FY 2024–25. Between 2013–14 and 2024–25, the country’s spice exports surged by 88% in quantity and 97% in value, underscoring remarkable growth in both scale and sophistication. Gujarat led the nation’s spice exports with nearly a quarter (23.53%) of the total share, followed by Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Just a decade earlier, in 2013–14, Indian spice exports totaled 817,250 metric tonnes valued at USD 2.27 billion—highlighting how far the sector has evolved.

Global Destinations: A World Seasoned by India

By the end of 2024, India had shipped spices and spice products to 200 destinations across the world. The top importers—China, the United States, the UAE, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Germany—collectively contributed over 60% of the total export revenue during FY25. Among them, the U.S. market showed a strong appetite for Indian celery, cumin, curry powders, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, chilli, and mint products, reflecting the broad international demand for authentic Indian flavors.

Top Exported Spices: Chilli Takes the Crown

In FY 2023–24, chilli held the leading position in India’s spice export portfolio, earning USD 1.51 billion. It was followed by cumin (USD 700.23 million) and spice oils and oleoresins (USD 498.01 million). Other key contributors included mint derivatives, turmeric, and curry powders/pastes—each adding substantial value and diversity to India’s spice basket.

Leading States in Spice Production

The backbone of this booming industry lies in India’s fertile regions. Madhya Pradesh emerged as the top producer in 2023–24, yielding 3.63 million tonnes of spices. It was closely followed by Gujarat (1.29 million tonnes) and Andhra Pradesh (1.28 million tonnes). States like Rajasthan and Telangana also played crucial roles, recording outputs of over 1 million tonnes and 793,000 tonnes respectively. These five states are central to maintaining India’s dominance in spice cultivation and export.

Government Initiatives: Nurturing a Modern Spice Economy

Spices Board of India

Formed in 1987, the Spices Board of India oversees the growth, regulation, and promotion of 52 spice varieties, including both large and small cardamom. The Board’s vision is clear—to uphold India’s leadership in global spice trade while expanding the country’s value-added export capacity. Through research, quality control, and farmer empowerment, the Board works to make India the global hub for safe, high-quality, and innovative spice products.

SPICED Scheme: Boosting Export Excellence

The SPICED initiative—short for Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative, and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development—marks a major step toward advancing export quality and value. With an outlay of ₹422.3 crore, the scheme will run through the 15th Finance Commission cycle (until FY 2025–26). Key components include:

• Promoting value addition and clean spice production.

  
  

• Supporting FPOs, SMEs, and marginalized communities.

  
  

• Initiatives like Mission Value Addition, Mission Clean and Safe Spices, and promotion of GI-tagged products.

  
  

• Strengthening cardamom productivity, post-harvest quality, and the establishment of Spice Incubation Centres for innovation.

  
  

Together, these interventions are designed to enhance India’s global competitiveness through technology upgradation and sustained export development.

Spices Parks: Processing Hubs for Growth

To strengthen the spice value chain, the Spices Board established eight dedicated Spices Parks across the country. These parks serve as integrated hubs for cleaning, grading, drying, extraction, and packaging, offering shared infrastructure to farmers, traders, and exporters alike.

Name of the Spices Park	State	Spices covered
Chhindwara	Madhya Pradesh	Garlic and Chilli
Guna	Madhya Pradesh	Coriander
Guntur	Andhra Pradesh	Chillies
Jodhpur	Rajasthan	Cumin
Ramganjmandi	Rajasthan	Coriander
Puttady	Kerala	Cardamom and Pepper
Raebareli	Uttar Pradesh	Mint
Sivaganga	Tamil Nadu	Chillies and Turmeric

These parks not only improve infrastructure but also generate significant employment and entrepreneurship opportunities—propelling rural economic growth while meeting international quality standards.

A Spicy Future Ahead

India’s spice industry stands at an exciting crossroads—where age-old heritage meets innovation and global opportunity. As the world increasingly turns toward natural, healthy ingredients post-pandemic, spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic have found new relevance for their immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Supported by forward-looking schemes like SPICED and the expanding Spices Parks network, India is solidifying its reputation as a global epicenter for value-added, sustainable, and premium-quality spice exports.

From ancient trade routes to modern digital markets, India isn’t just part of the spice story—it is the story.