The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) made a strong impression as the Platinum Sponsor of Fresh Produce India 2025, held last week at Mumbai’s Trident Nariman Point Hotel.
The premier event brought together more than 300 global players in the fresh fruit and vegetable trade, showcasing the best of horticulture innovation, supply chain development, and premium produce.
Austrade, alongside Avocados Australia Limited and Summerfruit Australia, showcased top-quality Australian produce to Indian importers and retailers seeking reliable supply, great taste, and national distribution capabilities. The event served as a key opportunity to strengthen trade ties, explore new business opportunities, and promote Australian horticulture.
“Our goal is to support Australian growers and exporters in tapping into the vibrant Indian market,” Austrade posted on LinkedIn.
“From avocados to summer fruit, Australian produce stands out for its quality, safety, and consistency — and Indian consumers are taking note.”
Austrade also hosted a market briefing for visiting clients, led by Kiran Karamil, Counsellor (Agriculture) from Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The session highlighted India’s dynamic market trends, regulatory landscape, and pathways for expansion.
The two-day event, held from 3–4 April 2025, included a packed schedule of panels, tastings, networking, and curated tours of key retail and wholesale points. The programme opened with a yoga session by Ira Trivedi and a nutritious breakfast curated by celebrity chef Amrita Raichand — both sponsored by Avocados Australia and Summerfruit Australia.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the Fresh Produce India Awards, celebrating excellence in India’s fresh produce industry. Tamil Nadu’s KPN Farm Fresh won the India Business Award, while the India Marketing Campaign Award was claimed by the World Avocado Organisation (WAO) for its impactful localisation and outreach.
WAO’s marketing campaign, launched in 2024 and expanded this year, featured Indian celebrity chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor and leading nutritionists to promote avocado consumption. Their campaign amassed over 106 million followers and 25 million impressions across platforms.
In 2025, the campaign went a step further with a partnership with Haldiram’s to develop ‘Desi’ avocado recipes and launch them nationwide. Zac Bard, chairman of WAO, accepted the award alongside Indian food marketing consultant Sumit Saran. Bard said:
“With avocados’ health benefits aligning with the needs of the Indian diet, we’re thrilled to see such enthusiastic uptake across the country.”
The World Avocado Organisation (WAO) is a non-profit organisation representing avocado growers, national growers associations and importers from both the northern and southern hemisphere. These include growers from Chile, Peru, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, as well as importers from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and UK.
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