India's Whole Cardamom Exports Triple in Two Years, Crossing $436 Million in 2025-26
Commerce Ministry data shows India's whole cardamom shipments surged to $436.8 mn in 2025-26 from $131.9 mn in 2023-24, with export volumes more than doubling to 16,399 tonne as Gulf and South Asian demand soars.
The short answer
India's whole cardamom exports have more than tripled in value — from $131.9 million in 2023-24 to $436.8 million in 2025-26 — and volumes have more than doubled to 16,399 tonne, according to Commerce Ministry data. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the two largest buyers, together accounting for over $260 million of outbound trade. Officials attribute the surge to rising global appetite for premium spices and India's advantage in aroma, quality, and purity.
The numbers
Export Value Triples, Volumes Double in Back-to-Back Years
India's outbound shipments of whole cardamom have posted a remarkable two-year run, with export value climbing from $131.9 million in 2023-24 to $201.2 million in 2024-25, and then vaulting again to $436.8 million in 2025-26 — a more-than-threefold jump over the period, according to data released by the Commerce Ministry.
The volume story is equally striking. Shipments rose from 7,083 tonne in 2023-24 to 7,674 tonne in 2024-25, before nearly doubling again to 16,399 tonne in 2025-26. The simultaneous rise in both value and volume rules out a price-only explanation, pointing instead to a structural expansion in overseas demand for Indian cardamom.
Market geography
Gulf Nations Drive the Surge; Bangladesh and Beyond Add Depth
The Middle East dominates India's cardamom export map. The UAE ($135.22 million) and Saudi Arabia ($125.16 million) together absorb more than $260 million worth of Indian cardamom annually, underscoring the spice's deep cultural resonance in Arab cuisine and hospitality.
Kuwait ($20 million) and Iraq ($13.71 million) add further Gulf heft, while Bangladesh ($47.71 million) stands out as the largest non-Gulf destination — a reflection of cardamom's widespread use in South Asian cooking and confectionery. Malaysia ($8.48 million) rounds out the top-six buyer list.
Beyond these anchor markets, the Netherlands, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Egypt, and Iran also source the spice from India, suggesting a broadening geographic footprint that could underpin future export growth.
The sharp rise in exports reflects growing global demand for premium spices, quality production and increasing preference among overseas buyers because of its aroma, quality and purity.
Supply side
Kerala Leads Production; Sikkim and Arunachal Add Large-Cardamom Capacity
India's cardamom output rests on two distinct agro-climatic belts:
Small Cardamom (Western Ghats)
- Kerala is the dominant producer, contributing over 56–58% of the country's total supply, with Idukki, Wayanad, and Palakkad as the key growing districts.
- Karnataka (Coorg, Hassan, and Chikmagalur) and Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris, Palani, and Pulney hills) are the other significant small-cardamom states.
Large Cardamom (Sub-Himalayan Northeast)
- Primarily cultivated in the high-altitude belts of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, large cardamom finds wide application in Ayurvedic medicines and robust spice blends.
The geographic diversity of India's production base provides supply resilience — a key factor for export consistency.
Official read
Aroma, Purity, and Quality Cited as India's Competitive Edge
A Commerce Ministry official attributed the sharp export acceleration to a confluence of demand- and supply-side factors. On the demand side, global preference for premium spices is rising — and Indian cardamom, prized for its aroma, quality, and purity, is well-positioned to capture that premium.
On the supply side, quality production standards have evidently strengthened buyer confidence, prompting larger and more frequent orders from established markets. The official noted that increasing preference among overseas buyers for Indian cardamom — relative to competing origins — has been a consistent theme behind the volume ramp-up.
For Kerala's smallholder growers and the spice-trading ecosystem that stretches from Idukki's auction houses to Mumbai's export warehouses, this sustained demand signal is broadly positive, though sustained quality control will remain critical to protecting market share.
Why it matters
A near-tripling of export value in just two years signals that Indian cardamom has firmly carved out a premium position in global spice trade — particularly in the high-value Gulf corridor. For Kerala's smallholder farmers, who supply over half the country's cardamom, sustained international demand could translate into stronger farm-gate prices and income stability. Traders and exporters should monitor diversification into newer markets such as China, Canada, and Australia, where import flows are still modest but growing. Policymakers will need to ensure quality standards and supply-chain investments keep pace with demand to protect India's hard-won market share.
Frequently asked
- How much did India's whole cardamom exports grow between 2023-24 and 2025-26?
- India's whole cardamom exports more than tripled in value — from $131.9 million in 2023-24 to $436.8 million in 2025-26 — while export volumes more than doubled, rising from 7,083 tonne to 16,399 tonne over the same period, according to Commerce Ministry data.
- Which countries are the top buyers of Indian cardamom?
- The UAE ($135.22 million) and Saudi Arabia ($125.16 million) are the two largest importers of Indian whole cardamom, followed by Bangladesh ($47.71 million), Kuwait ($20 million), Iraq ($13.71 million), and Malaysia ($8.48 million).
- Which Indian states produce the most cardamom?
- Kerala is the largest producer of small cardamom, accounting for over 56–58% of India's total supply, with Idukki, Wayanad, and Palakkad as key districts. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the other major small-cardamom states. Large cardamom is grown primarily in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
- What is driving the surge in Indian cardamom exports?
- A Commerce Ministry official cited growing global demand for premium spices and increasing overseas buyer preference for Indian cardamom on account of its aroma, quality, and purity as the key factors behind the sharp rise in export value and volumes.
Source
This report summarises and analyses coverage from The Hindu BusinessLine — Agri Business. The analysis and India context are IndianAgri's own.