Nurturing India’s fruitful basket holds the key to unlocking nutrition security
As the world’s most populated nation continues to grapple with malnutrition, the Centre for Fruitful India launched its inaugural national conference in New Delhi in November 2025. The event convened a network of fruit tree champions to advance fruit diversity for nutrition, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
Nurturing India’s fruitful basket holds the key to unlocking nutrition security
As the world’s most populated nation continues to grapple with malnutrition, the Centre for Fruitful India launched its inaugural national conference in New Delhi in November 2025. The event convened a network of fruit tree champions to advance fruit diversity for nutrition, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
Wrapped in its aromatic signature of tropical sweetness, mangoes are widely cultivated across India’s vast expanse that is nearly the size of Western Europe. As the country’s national fruit, the nutrient-packed Mangifera indica is a cherished symbol ingrained in India’s rich culture, history, and economy.
For decades, the South Asian nation has dominated the global production of diverse mango varieties, supplying markets in the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others. Last year, exports reached more than 32,000 metric tons with approximately $60 million USD in revenue. Despite the tropical fruit’s sweet legacy, the country continues to lag behind its health and nutrition targets—an indicative trend of underutilizing its wide array of diverse fruit species.