From orchard to embassy: How mangoes became India’s sweetest soft power

When summer settles over India, the air grows heavy with sweetness, and the syrupy perfume of mangoes drifts through markets, kitchens, and homes. Buckets of the fruit soak in cool water, children wait for their turn with dripping slices, and across cities and villages, families exchange boxes of Alphonsos as tokens of love. Mangoes are no longer just a sign that summer has arrived in India. The fruit today carries a deeper meaning. It has become a taste of India that the world eagerly awaits. The King of fruits has grown into an instrument of soft power.

Every summer in India, the air turns sweet long before the first mango reaches the plate. The scent of ripening fruit drifts through markets and homes. Summer afternoons in a typical Indian household comprise of buckets brimming with mangoes soaking in cool water, waiting to be sliced, shared, and savored after meals. Across the country, families send boxes of mangoes from their farms or local markets to relatives and friends, as a gesture of affection. For many, the season’s joy lives in the simple comfort of aamras after lunch or a tall glass of mango shake shared on a hot afternoon. Mangoes are deeply rooted in the Indian culture.

But now, it is more than a yearly ritual of taste and in recent years, this familiar joy has taken on a new meaning. The mango, India’s “king of fruits,” is now also a quiet ambassador of India’s global reach – one of soft power, trade, and cultural pride.

In FY25, India’s mango exports touched 32,000 metric tonnes, valued at US$ 60.14 million, marking a steady rise in both demand and reach. Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport alone shipped 3.15 million mangoes to 51 global destinations, with exports expanding 12% in volume and 21% in reach. The fruit’s journey now stretches from Indian farms to supermarket shelves in the UAE, UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the USA, carried by 24 international airlines. For a crop so deeply woven into India’s heritage, this global ascent carries both economic and emotional weight.

India produces nearly half of the world’s mangoes—over 20 million metric tonnes annually—yet exports remain relatively modest. This paradox of abundance and under-representation is familiar to Indian agriculture, but in the case of mangoes, the story runs deeper. It’s not just about supply chains or shelf life; it’s about reimagining how a cultural icon can evolve into an economic powerhouse.

The sweet symbol of soft power and the bottlenecks

For India, the mango has always carried meaning far beyond its taste. It has travelled through time as a cultural and diplomatic messenger—gifted between rulers, celebrated in poetry, and now, presented in diplomatic exchanges. In recent years, mangoes have featured in high-level bilateral visits, notably as gifts to nations like Japan and the UAE. These gestures, while symbolic, highlight the potential of transforming a fruit into a brand of national pride.

Imagine an “Alphonso from India” campaign—backed by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and state governments—elevating the fruit to the status of Champagne or Parmigiano-Reggiano. With its GI tag and rich aroma, Alphonso can represent the gold standard of Indian produce—a product that speaks of terroir, tradition, and taste.

But the path from orchard to overseas market is still uneven. Strict phytosanitary restrictions continue to limit access to high-value destinations such as Australia and South Korea. The Ministry of Commerce has noted that pest-related concerns and a shortage of approved irradiation facilities have slowed negotiations for export protocols. Add to that the mango’s short shelf life and weather-sensitive yield, and consistency quickly becomes a major hurdle.

Certification is another key barrier. Labels such as GLOBALG.A.P., HACCP, and Fairtrade, essential for European and North American retail access, remain rare among Indian mango exporters. The National Horticulture Board (NHB) has flagged this as an area needing urgent investment, calling for more pack  houses, vapor heat treatment units, and traceability systems across mango-growing states.

These gaps are not due to lack of intent, but infrastructure. The challenge is to match India’s natural advantage with global-grade systems that guarantee quality, safety, and reliability.

Several policy interventions are now helping bridge these gaps. Financial assistance under APEDA supports the creation of packhouses and branding initiatives, while the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme offers freight cost reimbursements for agri-exports. The PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme is encouraging small entrepreneurs engaged in mango pulp and beverage processing, and the Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) provides low-interest loans for cold chains and logistics.

These interventions, along with the EPCG scheme for duty-free machinery imports, are strengthening the value chain from farm to port. What India needs next is greater awareness and adoption of these schemes at the grassroots level.

Rising demand, emerging markets

Export data reflects encouraging momentum. India’s mango shipments are gaining traction not just in traditional markets such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, but also in emerging regions like East Africa and Central Asia. Premium destinations like Japan, South Korea, and the United States are showing growing appetite for high-quality, residue-free varieties.

Among India’s many cultivars, the Alphonso from Maharashtra, Kesar from Gujarat, and Banganapalli from Andhra Pradesh stand out for their export suitability. The Alphonso’s aroma and GI protection make it a premium product, while Banganapalli’s longer shelf life makes it ideal for fresh export. The tangy Totapuri, meanwhile, dominates the processed pulp segment, underscoring how each variety can find its niche in global trade.

If India wants to claim a larger slice of the global mango market, technology and traceability will be crucial. Digital tracking and QR-coded packaging can assure international buyers of authenticity and quality. Linking this with blockchain-enabled mandis and eNAM platforms can create transparency from farm to fork—a feature global consumers increasingly demand.

Equally vital is brand storytelling. India’s mangoes are more than commodities; they are carriers of culture. A cohesive branding effort that links India’s dive rse mango varieties to their regional heritage can transform the fruit from a seasonal export into a year-round ambassador.

Beyond fresh fruit, processed mango products—pulp, dehydrated slices, juices, and beverages—are gaining popularity in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. These segments not only extend shelf life but also reduce dependence on seasonal exports, offering year-round market access for Indian producers.

From fruit to foreign policy

In many ways, the mango mirrors India’s own journey which is deeply rooted in tradition, yet constantly adapting to a changing world. As the world becomes more conscious of authenticity and what it consumes,  this fruit gives India a rare opportunity to merge heritage, health, and strategy into a single, compelling export.

From packhouses in Ratnagiri to tasting rooms in Tokyo, the Indian mango is making its presence felt far beyond the subcontinent. It travels not just as a commodity, but as a messenger of culture and confidence. Mango diplomacy has the power to sweeten relationships, open new markets, and remind the world that sometimes soft power can be as simple, and as unforgettable, as a perfectly ripened mango.

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Athul Nath MS is the State Head – Kerala at the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), with over 15 years of experience in government relations, investment facilitation, and technology-driven development.

An engineer by training with a postgraduate specialization in Rural Development Management from NIRDPR, he combines technical acumen with policy expertise to drive sustainable growth. Before joining TPCI, Athul led the Advantage Assam 2.0 initiative, shaping sectoral policies and investment strategies that elevated Assam’s global competitiveness. He has advised on key policy areas including textiles, renewable energy, PPPs, and industrial infrastructure.

In previous roles with KSIDC and ANERT, he advanced Kerala’s industrial and green energy agendas—spearheading projects such as the Hydrogen Valley and Green Hydrogen Hub. Earlier, at the Chief Minister’s Office, Assam, he managed multilateral projects with the World Bank, ADB, and AIIB, enhancing governance through ERP-based systems.

A versatile professional, Athul also brings experience in MSME cluster development, skilling, and technology solutions for public programs.