In FY24, Indian red chilli exports have soared to a record $1.509 billion, pushed by high demand from China and Bangladesh. This is around 15% higher over the pervious year when exports stood at $1.30 billion. In volume terms chilli exports in FY24 were 6.01 lakh tonnes, a 15% growth over 5.24 lakh tonnes. In FY24, China has been the top importer of Indian chilli with imports exceeding 1.79 lakh tonnes valued at over ₹4,123 crore.
The second-largest buyer of Indian chillies in value terms is Thailand, as it imported ₹1,404 crore worth of the agri commodity, up 10.6% from the previous year’s ₹1,269 crore. In volume terms, chilli exports during 2023-24 grew by around a tenth at 59,838 tonnes from the previous year’s 54,512 tonnes. During the past financial year, shipments to Bangladesh grew by 67% to about 90,570 tonnes from the previous year’s 53,986 tonnes. In value terms, chilli exports to Bangladesh were up 35 per cent at ₹1,210 crore from the previous year’s ₹892 crore.