New Delhi: From breakfast toast to smoothie bowls, avocados are fast becoming a daily staple for many Indians. But consumers are paying a premium as domestic supply struggles to keep pace with surging demand.
As a result, India is increasingly relying on imports to bridge the gap, even as local farmers begin to scale up cultivation.
Domestic output has risen gradually from about 6,000 tonnes in 2023 to around 9,000 tonnes in 2026, according to experts. Imports, however, have grown much faster, climbing from 5,040 tonnes in FY24 to 11,800 tonnes in FY25, according to data from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
In value terms, imports have more than tripled in just two years—from $13.5 million in FY24 to $42.27 million in FY26 (till February), government data show. India sources avocados largely from Tanzania, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and Peru.
Imported avocados are also pricier, selling for ₹350-500 per kg compared with ₹150-300 per kg for locally grown produce, according Harshith B.S., who runs Indian Avocado Nursery in Mysuru.
India’s trend mirrors a broader global expansion in avocado consumption. According to a June 2025 estimate from Rabobank, the global avocado market is valued at about $20.5 billion, with export volumes projected to reach 3 million tonnes by 2026-27, up from 1 million tonnes in 2012-13.
Avocado crush
The surge in demand is being driven in large part by rising health consciousness among urban consumers, with avocados increasingly seen as a heart-friendly alternative to processed fats.
Introduced in India between 1906 and 1914 by an American missionary using planting material from Sri Lanka, avocado has moved from a niche fruit to a mainstream dietary choice in recent years.
Health experts point to its nutritional profile as a key factor behind its growing popularity.
According to Dr Neerav Bansal, director, Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Max Super Specialty Hospital, Vaishali, avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that help improve cholesterol levels by lowering LDL and raising HDL. They also contain potassium, which supports blood pressure control, and fibre that aids metabolic health.
“Eating it regularly and in moderation may lower the risk of heart problems, but it's important to watch how much you eat because it has a lot of calories,” he said. “Swapping, processed butter/mayonnaise or processed meat with Avocado in a regular diet shall reap heart benefits.”
Domestic planting
Even as demand rises, India’s avocado supply response remains gradual, constrained by long gestation periods and gaps in the broader ecosystem.
The area under avocado cultivation has expanded to an estimated 10,000 hectares, with farmers in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim and parts of Maharashtra responding to growing urban demand. But new plantations take time to translate into output.
An avocado tree typically takes about five years to begin yielding, producing 30–50 kg of fruit annually—slowing the pace at which supply can scale.
Growers say the market is still underdeveloped, with limited consumer awareness around how to use the fruit and a lack of organised supply chains.
“There is a need to create greater awareness across consumer segments, and for the government to support this through targeted campaigns,” said Harshith, whose nursery started with 10,000 plants after the pandemic, and now sells about 100,000 plants annually.
Scientists say efforts are underway to improve productivity and suitability for Indian conditions.
According to G. Karunakaran, principal scientist in fruit crops at ICAR-IIHR (Indian Institute of Horticultural Research), Bengaluru, IIHR has released two varieties — Arka Supreme in 2018 and Arka Ravi in 2023 — which are regular in bearing, high-yielding, with a fruit weight of 400-600 g, about 80% pulp recovery, and are suitable for cultivation in tropical regions.
“Over the past five years, avocado cultivation in India has expanded significantly, reaching about 10,000 hectares nationwide, of which about 25% is under varieties developed by the IIHR,” he said, adding that avocado cultivation needs to be taken up on a large scale for sustaining farmer income.
Private players are also betting on scaling domestic capacity. “The journey began in 2019, with a focus on high-quality planting material and global best practices,” said Srinivas Rao Madhavaram, founder of Deccan Exotics in Hyderabad. “Over the past four to six years, we have expanded to nearly 300 acres under cultivation, with operations spread across Hyderabad and more than 200 locations across the country.”