A day after the launch of the National Turmeric Board, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and Amway India Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., today, January 15, 2025, unveiled a comprehensive joint report titled 'Making India the Global Hub for Turmeric', addressing the pressing challenges faced by turmeric farmers and offering a strategic roadmap to enhance India’s position in the global turmeric market.
On January 14, 2025, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal formally inaugurated the board’s office in Nizamabad in northern Telangana, one of the key turmeric hubs in the country. The new board aims to boost turmeric exports to USD 1 billion by 2030.
The ICRIER-Amway Report highlights that while the global turmeric market, valued at USD 58.2 million in 2020, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.1 per cent by 2028, Indian turmeric farmers face hurdles such as fluctuating prices, limited market access, and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure. Despite India cultivating turmeric across 297,460 hectares with an expected production of 1,041,730 MT in 2023-24, there is a pressing need for targeted interventions to stabilise production and empower farmers.
While flagging pain points of the farmers and challenges, the Report also suggests the way forward. According to the findings, third-party certified organic helps farmers to get a better price, but it is costly, and there is no subsidy. Hence, the Report recommends subsidy for third-party organic, streamlining regulatory bodies and signing mutual recognition agreements for regulatory cooperation that will help to promote exports.
The report also pointed out that India is able to supply only 10 per cent of global demand of high-curcumin (over 5 per cent) turmeric with lower Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). Hence, R&D is needed to develop, high-curcumin variety and such varieties should be marketed in global platforms, it said, adding that with six GI products, GI discussions in trade agreements are important. “India has more than 30 varieties of turmeric and there is scope for more GI products. Focus should be to secure GI in products above 5 per cent curcumin,” the Report emphasized.
The Report, co-authored by Dr. Arpita Mukherjee, Dr. Souvik Dutta, Eshana Mukherjee, Ketaki Gaikwad, Trishali Khanna, and Nandini Sen, highlights strategies to position India as the global leader in turmeric production, value addition, and exports.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Deepak Mishra, Director and Chief Executive of ICRIER, and a featured keynote address from Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India.
In his welcome address Dr. Deepak Mishra, Director & CE, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) said, "The Ministry of Commerce and Industry projects that India’s turmeric exports will reach USD 1 billion by 2030. The government has also established the National Turmeric Board. In this context, our report makes targeted recommendations on how India can strengthen its position as a global turmeric producer and exporter, and make more value-addition at home."
Highlighting the objectives of the Study, Dr. Arpita Mukherjee- the lead author said, “The objective of this report is to present the current trends and developments, with a focus on the development and growth of turmeric and turmeric products in India and to strengthen India’s position as a global turmeric production and export hub.”
Highlighting key insights from the report, the author emphasised India’s unique opportunity to leverage its rich turmeric heritage by enhancing production practices, strengthening export channels, and promoting value-added products.
Amway India extended the support to carry out this extensive survey. In his closing remarks, Rajneesh Chopra, MD – Amway India said, "The report ‘Making India the Global Hub for Turmeric’ by ICRIER meticulously captures the insights of farmers, farmer producer organisations, companies, and policymakers, offering a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape and future opportunities in the Turmeric industry. By linking food security with nutrition security and diversifying the use of turmeric as a nutraceutical, this report can significantly contribute to increasing India’s exports and achieving the government’s vision of making India a global hub for turmeric."
The report looks at enhancing value addition in the country so as to increase the income of farmers and benefit MSMEs. It makes recommendations to unleash the potential of this sector, aligned with the vision of India becoming a developed country by 2047. The sector has huge potential to create jobs, and make farmers and MSMEs a part of the global value chain. The study is based on secondary data, information analysis and a primary survey and focuses on “Make in India” and Value-added products for exports.
The release was followed by an engaging panel discussion on “Securing India’s Leadership in Turmeric Value-Added Products.” The panel discussion was moderated by Ramakrishanan M, MD and Head of Sustainability and Agriculture Practice, Primus Partners. The special address on theme was delivered by Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner (NBM & CEO, CDB, ED(NBB)), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and Dr. Jayant Dasgupta, Former Ambassador of India to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The session featured an expert panel comprising Devajit Khound, Principal Economic Advisor, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr. Seema Puri, Professor (Retd.), Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi; Dr. Souvik Dutta, Assistant Professor, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi; and Virat Bahri, Joint Director, Center for Advanced Trade Research, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI). The discussion centered on strategies to fortify India's global leadership in turmeric by enhancing value addition, ensuring quality, and fostering international collaborations to maximise its economic potential.
India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world. In the year 2022-23, an area of 3.25 lakh hectares was under turmeric cultivation in India with a production of 11.61 lakh tonnes (over 70% of global turmeric production). More than 30 varieties of Turmeric are grown in India and it is grown in over 20 states in the country. The largest producing states of Turmeric are Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Key Findings
- Globally, the turmeric market value was around USD 58.2 million in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.1 per cent from 2020 to 2028.
- Turmeric, rich in curcumin—also known as the “wonder drug of life”— offers several health benefits, including wound healing and acts as an anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-viral agent.
- According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare 2024 (Third Advance Estimate of FY 2023-24), 297,460 hectares of land is under turmeric cultivation in India, with an expected production of 1,041,730 MT.
- Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are some of the top turmeric-producing states.
- To maintain India’s global dominance, it needs to evolve from being just a raw turmeric supplier by innovating, ensuring quality, and adopting sustainable practices.
- The Study identifies the issues faced by different stakeholders in the supply chain and makes policy recommendations to address the issues faced by the sector and unleash its potential
- The Study reveals that the decline in turmeric production in recent years is due to fluctuating prices and gaps in market access, highlighting the need for targeted support to stabilise turmeric cultivation.
- Enhancing finance, marketing, co-operatives, and regulated market access is essential to empower farmers and boost output.
- Investments in post-harvest infrastructure, scaling up turmeric FPOs and fostering knowledge sharing through R&D and global collaborations are crucial for maintaining competitiveness.
- Promoting high-curcumin varieties and leveraging international platforms can solidify India’s position as a leading turmeric exporter.
- Capacity building for farmers, processors and exporters can significantly enhance the industry’s global competitiveness.
- By aligning production practices with international benchmarks and fostering a collaborative ecosystem, India can solidify its position as a reliable and preferred supplier of high-quality turmeric in the global market.
