Indian plantation sector must shift to value-added exports, says commerce ministry official

India's plantation sector must transform itself into a globally competitive supplier of value-added products rather than remaining reliant on commodity exports, a senior Ministry of Commerce and Industry official has said.

Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary at the ministry, outlined a vision in which the sector achieves higher value per hectare, greater technology adoption, increased export volumes and improved incomes for growers as part of a developed India.

Kumar stressed that productivity gains and a strategic shift from raw commodities to processed, higher-margin products would be central to realising that ambition, positioning Indian plantations as serious players in international markets.