ITC Empowers Spice Farmers to Become India’s Leading Organic Spices Exporter

ITC Spices: In a significant boost to India’s agricultural sector, ITC has built a comprehensive and vibrant agri-ecosystem that is transforming the livelihoods of Indian spice farmers. By linking growers to lucrative global markets and equipping them with cutting-edge technological inputs, the company emerged as India’s leading exporter of organic spices in 2025. This initiative has not only created a massive global footprint for Indian spices but has also secured a robust supply chain for the domestic market, catering to prominent players and ITC’s own household brands like Aashirvaad, Sunrise, and 24 Mantra Organic.

Cumulatively, ITC’s integrated tech-enabled spices program has benefited over 31,800 farmers across 2.2 lakh acres. By helping them improve productivity and adopt sustainable practices, the initiative has successfully driven higher crop values and enhanced rural incomes.

A Mega ‘Make in India’ Infrastructure in Guntur:
Central to this success is ITC’s state-of-the-art spices processing facility in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Standing as one of Asia’s largest setups for processed spices, the facility spans 6 acres and boasts a processing capacity of over 20,000 MT per annum.

The Guntur plant is uniquely equipped to handle more than 15 varieties of spices, including specialized organic variants. Anchoring an end-to-end organic value chain right from the farmgate, the facility features advanced processing, logistics, and retail-ready packaging infrastructure. To satisfy stringent global compliance laws, the entire operation is backed by end-to-end barcode-based tracking, ensuring complete visibility across all processing stages.

The Strategic Blueprint: Sustainable Models and Proven Impact:
As part of the “ITC Next” strategy, the company has steadily expanded its Value-Added Agriculture Products (VAAP) portfolio. To build a resilient supply chain for premium spices like chilli, cumin, turmeric, and coriander, ITC implemented a backward integration program structured around three core pillars:

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Integrated Crop Management (ICM)
• Certified Organic Farming

The financial impact of these interconnected programs on rural communities is substantial. An independent analysis by IDH—an international organization specializing in sustainable global value chains revealed that farmers engaged in ITC’s spice programs for over a decade experienced a 42% increase in income compared to baseline farmers. This growth was primarily driven by enhanced crop yields, reduced cultivation costs, and direct access to premium export premiums.

“At ITC, farmer empowerment is central to how we build sustainable agri-value chains,” says Mr. S Ganesh Kumar, Divisional Chief Executive, Agri Business, ITC Ltd. “By combining strong on-ground engagement with science-based climate-smart practices, digital tools and superior market linkages, we are helping farmers improve productivity, quality and incomes.”

Elevating Indian Spices in Global Markets:
By prioritizing traceable, sustainable, and organic products, ITC has effectively aligned Indian agriculture with shifting global consumer preferences toward food safety, health, and ethical sourcing.

Working in tandem with international buyers, ITC has expanded the footprint of food-safe Indian spices in highly regulated markets such as the USA, the EU, the UK, and Japan. The implementation of a digital, barcode-driven tracking platform from farm to export has dramatically minimized compliance bottlenecks and lowered product recall risks, reinforcing India’s reputation as a reliable agricultural trade partner.

Transforming Agriculture via the ‘Phygital’ ITCMAARS Platform:
Technology acts as the primary accelerator in ITC’s agricultural model. Through its unique “phygital” platform, ITCMAARS (Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture and Rural Services), ITC delivers hyper-personalized, AI-powered advisory services to more than 18,250 farmers via a network of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

The ITCMAARS super-app offers a suite of advanced digital tools:

AI Crop Calendar & Weather Insights: Provides customized schedules and climate alerts from sowing to harvest.

Crop Doctor: An ML-based image recognition tool that allows farmers to identify crop pests and receive instant treatment recommendations.

Krishi Mitra: A Generative AI-powered voice assistant and chatbot operating in multiple regional languages to resolve farmer queries on the go.

Hyperlocal E-Markets: Facilitates seamless digital procurement of high-quality inputs and direct sale of outputs.

With plans to introduce a new Profit and Loss Calculator to assist farmers in crop planning, ITC continues to merge traditional farming wisdom with modern data science, ensuring Indian spice farmers remain competitive on the world stage.