India's plantation sector must shift to value-added exports, says commerce ministry official

India's plantation sector must increase its focus on value-added products and position itself as a major supplier in global markets, a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has said.

Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary at the ministry, outlined a vision in which a more developed plantation sector would deliver higher value per hectare, greater technology adoption, increased exports and improved incomes for growers, alongside stronger overall productivity.

Kumar indicated that the shift away from raw commodity supply toward processed and value-added goods would be central to achieving those goals, signalling that the government sees the sector's transformation as a priority for India's broader economic ambitions.