India’s agricultural export sector stands at a difficult crossroads. While the nation strides forward with a ‘Smart India’ vision, its agri-export processes remain stubbornly outdated. This disconnect is more than a bureaucratic failure, and is really the problem statement that the country must address.
This challenge is a profound threat to India’s credibility on the global stage and a lost economic opportunity that goes beyond immediate financial losses.
Repeated rejections of Indian agricultural products such as groundnuts, spices, sesame seeds due to quality issues like aflatoxin contamination reveal systemic negligence rather than isolated oversights.
These failures cause modest financial damage to exporters but inflict far greater harm on India’s global reputation and on the trustworthiness of key institutions such as APEDA, IOPEPC, and the Ministry of Commerce.
The need to fasten science-driven solutions
Despite proven technologies developed as far back as 2001 under UNDP and ICAR initiatives – technologies I have personally led – that effectively manage aflatoxin risk, Indian exporters and policymakers have been slow to adopt science-driven solutions.
Farmers, who remain detached from precision farming and quality incentives, bear no rewards for producing export-grade crops. Consequently, products once synonymous with excellence, like Gujarat’s premium groundnuts, have been downgraded, in fact, even rejected outright in markets like Indonesia, where they are deemed fit only for bird feed.
The policy implications are stark: India faces a credibility crisis that jeopardizes long-term access to premium markets. Technology neglect persists despite available solutions. Farmers remain excluded from quality-centric production methods. And the very commodities that should be India’s pride are increasingly associated with low-grade feed.
To reverse this decline, decisive action is needed:
- Mandate rigorous quality protocols that enforce aflatoxin and contaminant controls throughout the export supply chain – not just at ports.
- Engage farmers with export-oriented incentives, including premium pricing, targeted training, and certification linked to quality outcomes.
- Mainstream proven aflatoxin mitigation technologies, scaling production systems developed under UNDP and ICAR that I have helped pioneer.
- Diversify markets and reposition Indian groundnuts and spices as premium food products – not animal feed.
- Hold institutions accountable for science-backed compliance to rebuild trust in India’s agri-export credentials.
India’s vast groundnut cultivation, which spans 6 million hectares and is the world’s largest, provides a natural advantage that, if harnessed properly, can recapture global leadership. Our farmers cultivate nearly year-round using sustainable practices and natural rainfall, producing pesticide-free crops that can be transformed into aflatoxin-free, premium products through established protocols.
Encouraging signs exist, such as emerging peanut butter production using advanced technology, cold-pressed oils preserving nutrition and aroma, and innovative uses for groundnut shells in enzyme extraction. These are the foundations for a global groundnut revolution that can simultaneously generate rural prosperity and restore India’s export credibility.
It is time for the Ministry of Commerce, APEDA, and IOPEPC to lead this transformation decisively. By institutionalizing quality standards, empowering farmers, adopting science-led solutions, and diversifying market outreach, India can reclaim its rightful place as a trusted global supplier of superior agricultural products.
Unless we act now, repeated export rejections will continue to erode India’s brand and squander the vast socioeconomic potential of its agri-exports. The clock is ticking.
Dr. Mukti Sadhan Basu is the MD of SBSF Consultancy; Consultant TATA Trust, Ex Director, ICAR, Visiting Scientist, ICRISAT and UN International Consultant, Africa.He can be reached at muktisadhan@gmail.com; follow him on Linkedin
Dr. Mukti S. Basu, Ph.D, is a distinguished scientist specializing in peanut research and agricultural innovation. With a career spanning over three decades, he has played key roles in advancing food security and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Basu earned his M.Sc. in Agriculture and Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding from the University of Calcutta before joining the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1972.
During his 36-year tenure at ICAR, he served as All India Project Coordinator and Director of the National Research Centre for Groundnut, leading numerous impactful international projects. These include United Nations Development Programme initiatives for aflatoxin-safe groundnut production, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) projects on drought resistance and water use efficiency, as well as European Union-funded work on Bambara groundnut cultivation in semi-arid regions.
Dr. Basu’s expertise has been sought globally, including roles as Visiting Scientist at ICRISAT’s Asia Centre and UNIDO consultant in Africa for aflatoxin management. Beyond research, he has held leadership positions such as Executive Director at Urvara Biotech and Vice President at Kristian Seeds Ltd. Currently, he is the Managing Director of SBSF Consultancy, a multidisciplinary scientific group serving the food, agriculture, and life sciences sectors across India, Europe, and the United States.
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