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 released a comprehensive report titled “Making India the Global Hub for Turmeric”. The joint study outlines a strategic roadmap to address the challenges faced by turmeric farmers and strengthen India’s position in the global turmeric market.

The report was launched on Wednesday, following the inauguration of the National Turmeric Board’s office in Nizamabad, Telangana, by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. The newly established board aims to boost turmeric exports to $1 billion by 2030, providing a major thrust to the sector.

The ICRIER-Amway report highlights that despite India being the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of turmeric globally, the country faces significant challenges, including fluctuating prices, limited market access, and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure. The report noted that while the global turmeric market was valued at $58.2 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.1 per cent by 2028, India needs to make targeted interventions to secure its leadership position in the international market.

Addressing the launch event, Deepak Mishra, Director and Chief Executive of ICRIER, emphasised the need for value addition to boost turmeric exports. “The Ministry of Commerce and Industry projects that India’s turmeric exports will reach $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,” he said.

The report’s lead author, Arpita Mukherjee, explained the objectives of the study, stating, “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.”

Challenges in Supply Chain

The report identifies various challenges in the turmeric supply chain and offers recommendations to address them. It emphasizes the importance of promoting high-curcumin turmeric varieties that meet global quality standards. Currently, India supplies only 10 per cent of the global demand for turmeric with curcumin levels above 5 per cent, which has lower Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). The study highlights the need for more research and development to improve high-curcumin varieties and suggests that these varieties should be promoted on global platforms to increase India’s market share.

“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 stated, underscoring the importance of leveraging Geographical Indication (GI) tags to protect and promote India’s turmeric varieties in international markets.

The report also recommends providing subsidies for third-party organic certification to help farmers secure better prices. It suggests streamlining regulatory bodies and signing mutual recognition agreements for regulatory cooperation to promote exports.

During his closing remarks, Amway India Managing Director Rajneesh Chopra expressed confidence in the report’s ability to drive growth in the turmeric sector. “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,” he said.

India’s Potential

The report highlights India’s immense potential in the turmeric sector, noting that the country cultivated turmeric on 297,460 hectares in 2023-24, with an expected production of 1,041,730 metric tonnes. The major turmeric-producing states include Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.

The report suggests that investments in scaling up Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and promoting knowledge sharing through R&D and global partnerships will be critical in achieving this transformation. It also calls for efforts to align production practices with global benchmarks and ensure sustainable farming practices to strengthen India’s reputation as a reliable supplier of turmeric in the global market.