India has been the leading producer, exporter and consumer of spices in the world. Our country exports over 1.7 million tonne annually, valued at $4.43 billion, catering to about 26–28 per cent of global trade by value and about 30–35 per cent by volume. This makes it the largest in the global spice trade. Yet the bulk of Indian exports has continued to be in whole spice form even though better value and returns sit further up the value chain.
Bulk spice exports have helped us to establish primacy in world trade. However, it is imperative for us to understand that, if India desires to retain this position and secure long-term growth, its focus must shift from volume-driven to value-led exports. As per Spices Board data, high-end value additions like spice oils and oleoresins, spice mixes and pastes, and retail-packed spices made up about 26 per cent of export value in 2025-26. The effort now should be to increase the share of this segment significantly since the scope for this is large.
