India exports first rose-scented Litchi consignment from Punjab to Qatar, UAE

In a major push for horticultural exports, India flagged off its first international consignment of rose-scented litchis from Pathankot, Punjab, to Doha, Qatar, amounting to one metric tonne, and Dubai, UAE, amounting to 0.5 metric tonne.

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The consignment was sent on 23rd June 2025, the Commerce & Industry Ministry said in a statement on Friday. 

The initiative was led Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture, Punjab, and supported by Lullu Group and progressive farmer Shri Prabhat Singh of Sujanpur, who supplied the premium produce.

Punjab contributed 12.39 per cent to India’s total litchi output in FY 2023–24, with a production of 71,490 metric tonnes and cultivation spread across 4,327 hectares. 

India’s total litchi export during this period was 639.53 metric tonnes.

This milestone highlights Pathankot’s emergence as a litchi export hub, backed by its favourable climate. It also reflects India’s growing global footprint in agri-exports, which reached USD 3.87 billion in FY 2024–25, up 5.67 per cent from the previous year.

With rising demand for fruits like cherries, jamun, and litchis globally, this move reinforces the Government’s efforts to empower farmers, diversify agri-exports, and bolster India’s competitiveness in fresh produce on the world stage.