Introduction
The production assessment includes a comprehensive basket of spices such as pepper, chilli, ginger (fresh), turmeric (dry), coriander, cumin, celery, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, tamarind, clove, and nutmeg, among others. Within this basket, chilli, turmeric, and coriander continue to dominate overall production volumes, while spices like cumin and garlic also contribute significantly. Despite year-on-year variations in select crops, India’s spice sector remains structurally strong, supported by favourable agro-climatic conditions, steady domestic demand, and continued efforts by the Spices Board to enhance productivity and global competitiveness. Ginger was India's largest spice by production volume in 2025-26, at 26.04 lakh tonnes (about 20.3% of national spice output), led by production hubs including Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Kerala. Chilli followed closely at 24.64 lakh tonnes (19.2% share), concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, while pepper contributed 93,716 tonnes (0.7% share), centred in Karnataka and Kerala.
India spice production (million tonnes)
Source: DGCI&S, Spices Board of India, *advance estimate
Among seed spices, coriander and cumin production centred on Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, with Rajasthan leading cumin output while Madhya Pradesh led coriander seed. Turmeric cultivation showed Maharashtra emerging as the leading state, ahead of traditional producers Telangana and Karnataka, while garlic production remained heavily concentrated in Madhya Pradesh, which alone accounted for over 60% of national output. Fennel and fenugreek seed production stayed anchored in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and tree spices such as nutmeg, cloves and tamarind remained concentrated in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Within chilli, Andhra Pradesh dominated with a 47.36% share of national output, followed by Telangana (14.48%), Madhya Pradesh (12.12%) and Karnataka (8.99%), while Punjab (2.68%), Odisha (3.61%) and Gujarat (2.31%) held smaller shares of the 24.64 lakh tonne total. In ginger, Madhya Pradesh led with a 23.99% share, followed by Karnataka (12.90%), Odisha (10.35%) and Maharashtra (9.42%), with Assam (6.79%), Mizoram (5.71%) and West Bengal (5.37%) contributing smaller portions of the 26.04 lakh tonne national total.
Exports Trend
India's spice exports stood at Rs. 9,270.87 crore (US$ 1,098.48 million) during April-June 2026-27, while imports were valued at Rs. 3,135.83 crore (US$ 371.57 million) over the same period, reflecting the sector's continued scale in both outbound and inbound trade. Exports significantly outpaced imports during the quarter, underscoring India's established position as a major global player in the spice trade.
Among individual spice products, capsicum (of general use) led exports at Rs. 2,279.71 crore (US$ 270.14 million), followed by other seeds of cumin, excluding black and whether crushed or ground, at Rs. 762.31 crore (US$ 90.33 million). Small cardamom exports were valued at Rs. 476.06 crore (US$ 56.41 million), while chilli powder contributed Rs. 372.85 crore (US$ 44.18 million), reflecting the diverse mix of processed and raw spice products driving India's export basket during the quarter.
India spice exports trend (million US$)
Source: DGCI&S, RBI, NIRYAT
Major Export Destinations
The USA was the leading destination for India's spice exports during April-June 2026-27, accounting for a 14.98% share worth US$ 164.48 million, followed by China at 13.30% (US$ 146.00 million) and Bangladesh at 9.20% (US$ 101.05 million). The UAE (4.72%), Indonesia (4.22%), Thailand (4.06%), Saudi Arabia (3.62%) and Malaysia (3.51%) were among the other major markets, reflecting strong demand across North America, Asia and West Asia.
The UK (2.92%), Nepal (2.18%) and Germany (2.18%) also featured prominently, alongside Sri Lanka (2.10%), Netherlands (1.95%), Canada (1.92%) and Singapore (1.91%). Australia (1.66%), Turkey (1.39%), Morocco (1.35%), South Africa (1.30%), Japan (1.27%), Oman (1.23%) and Mexico (1.14%) rounded out the top twenty-one destinations, underlining the broad-based and diversified nature of India's spice export basket during the quarter.
Government Initiatives
India achieved a milestone at the Forty-Ninth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission held in Geneva from 6-10 July 2026, with the adoption of three global standards for large cardamom, coriander and vanilla. The standards, finalised during the Eighth Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs hosted by India in Guwahati in October 2025, are expected to enhance market access and export competitiveness for Indian spices by promoting consistency in quality requirements across global markets.
India’s spice export sector continues to show strong growth and policy support despite global challenges. The country recorded spice exports exceeding 1.8 million tonnes valued at over US$ 4 billion, reinforcing its position as a global leader, with increasing focus on value addition, technology adoption, and sustainable supply chains. At the policy level, the government has taken proactive steps to support exporters, including launching the Rs. 497 crore (US$53.49) RELIEF scheme to address logistics disruptions, provide insurance support, and ease export obligations, especially for MSMEs. Additionally, efforts are underway to diversify markets and strengthen trade ties with regions such as South Asia and countries like Afghanistan to expand spice trade and reduce dependency on volatile regions, reflecting a strategic push to enhance export resilience and growth.
Export Development and Promotion of Spices
This initiative by the Spices Board of India aims to support the exporter to adopt high-tech processing technologies and upgrade the existing level of technology for the development of industry and to meet the changing food safety standards of the importing countries. The initiative provides benefits of infrastructure development, promoting Indian spice brands abroad, setting up infrastructure in the major spice growing centres, promoting organic spices and special programmes for north-eastern entrepreneurs.
Setting up and maintenance of infrastructure for common processing (Spices Parks)
Spices Board has launched eight crop-specific Spices Parks in key production/market centres intending to facilitate the farmers to get an improved price realization and wider reach for their produce. The purpose of the park is to have an integrated operation for cultivation, post-harvesting, processing, value-addition, packaging and storage of spices and spice products. The common processing facilities for cleaning, grading, packing, and steam sterilization will help the farmers to enhance the quality of the produce, resulting in better price realization.
Spice Complex Sikkim
Spices Board submitted a project proposal to the state’s cell for setting up a Spice Complex in Sikkim seeking financial assistance for facilitating and demonstrating common processing and value addition in spices to help farmers and other stakeholders in the state.
Governing Body
Spices Board of India
The Spices Board of India’s serves as a comprehensive platform for the development, regulation, and promotion of Indian spices under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. It supports the export of 52 spices and spice products by providing trade data, market intelligence, export procedures, and quality standards to ensure compliance with global requirements. The portal also focuses on production development through farmer support programmes, productivity enhancement, and promotion of organic and GI-tagged spices. Additionally, it offers insights on prices, auctions, and export performance, making it a central information hub for stakeholders across India’s spice industry.
FAQs
Capsicum led India's spice exports at US$ 270.14 million during April-June 2026-27, followed by cumin seeds at US$ 90.33 million. Small cardamom and chilli powder also contributed significantly, reflecting a diverse mix within India's spices industry export basket.
India's spices exports stood at US$ 1,098.48 million during April-June 2026-27, significantly outpacing imports of US$ 371.57 million. Annual Indian spice exports exceed 1.8 million tonnes valued at over US$ 4 billion, reinforcing India's global leadership.
Spices Board India regulates and promotes the spices industry under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, supporting exports of 52 spices through trade data, market intelligence and quality standards. It also drives infrastructure development through initiatives like Spices Parks to boost export competitiveness.
Andhra Pradesh leads chilli production with a 47.36% share, while Madhya Pradesh dominates ginger (23.99%), garlic and coriander seed cultivation. Rajasthan leads cumin output, together forming the backbone of India's spices industry production base.
The Spices Board India actively promotes organic and GI-tagged spices through dedicated programmes under its Export Development and Promotion initiative. This focus strengthens quality assurance and brand value, supporting stronger positioning for Indian spice exports internationally.
Value-added spice products such as capsicum, chilli powder and processed cumin seeds are driving strong momentum in India's export basket. Growing focus on technology adoption and processing standards continues to boost demand for these value-added spice products globally.
Beyond the USA, China and Bangladesh, exporters are diversifying into UAE, Indonesia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, alongside strengthening ties with South Asia and Afghanistan. This strategic diversification is reducing dependency on volatile regions and expanding India's spices exports footprint.
The US$ 53.49 million RELIEF scheme supports MSME exporters with logistics and insurance assistance, while eight crop-specific Spices Parks enhance processing infrastructure. India also secured three new Codex standards in July 2026, boosting market access for spices exports.
Spices Parks provide integrated common processing facilities for cleaning, grading, packing and steam sterilization, improving quality and price realisation for farmers. This infrastructure push under the spices industry's development initiatives strengthens the global competitiveness of Indian spice exports.
With exports exceeding 1.8 million tonnes valued at over US$ 4 billion annually, India's spices industry outlook remains strong, backed by new Codex standards and continued government support. Growing focus on value addition and market diversification is expected to further boost Indian spice exports.
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