Indian fresh produce brand and agtech company Superplum plans to export special Indian fruits such as mangoes and lychees, according to founder and CEO Shobit Gupta. The company, which leverages technology, data, and an integrated farm-to-fork supply chain, aims to increase India's presence in global fruit trade.
Export ambitions
Gupta told businessline that India grows half the world's mangoes but holds only 0.4% of global trade. "Over the next few years, one large objective for us is to get products that India grows very well, mango, lychees, etc., to the international customer," he said. While exports of Indian mangoes to Japan face problems, Gupta sees it as an opportunity for Superplum. "If you do things properly, a lot of consumers or retailers internationally are not even aware of the quality and the flavour of Indian mango. These are products that India grows very well, but are not part of global trade," he added, noting that India is underserving itself by not participating in global trade or retail channels.
Gupta highlighted that India is the second-largest producer of lychees in the world, yet these fruits are not widely traded internationally. Superplum launched in 2019 to set up a modern supply chain for fresh foods in India. "There is a real opportunity to set up a modern system, as in other countries. The opportunity is bigger as nothing of that sort exists in India. That was our objective to set up modern facilities, develop a complete core chain and modern processes," he said.
Domestic operations
Currently, the majority of Superplum's business is domestic, spread across 24 states and serving business-to-business (B2B) clients. The company distributes mangoes, peaches, and apples grown in the country, with primary distribution hubs in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai. It also distributes in Hyderabad, Chennai, and Chandigarh. Superplum is the largest buyer of fresh lychees in West Bengal, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, besides dealing with produce such as grapes.
| Fruit | India's Global Position | Superplum's Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Mango | Grows half the world's mangoes; 0.4% of global trade | Plans to export; 11 varieties; works across 8 states from January to August |
| Lychee | World's second-largest producer | Largest buyer in West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh |
| Apple | Not specified | Distributed domestically |
| Peach | Not specified | Distributed domestically |
| Cherry | Not specified | Deals with cherries from Kashmir year-round |
| Grape | Not specified | Dealing with this produce |
The company works with 6,500 farmers in its system and maintains a shortlist of 1,700 farmers with verified safety precautions. Superplum has 40 clusters across states, flexible facilities that move depending on the fruit season, transport systems, and distribution centres in large cities. It does not engage in contract farming but partners with farmers in specific regions, prioritising food safety.
Supply chain innovation
Superplum developed its supply chain to optimise quality and reduce waste. "Whether it’s putting cooling systems and sorting systems right at the farm, we pick the right quality and the wastage in the system is lowered down the line. We make sure we’re picking the right quality product, clean, sorted and cooled as soon as possible," Gupta said. The company procures directly from farmers during the season, grading them from the flowering stage and through pruning. Procurement teams visit farms before and after the season to track quality, product quality, and output.
Market trends
Gupta noted that demand for premium products has been growing since Covid, not only for fruits. Demand for imported fruits is increasing 20-25% annually, while the domestic fruit sector grows at 5% per year. With high consumer acceptance of quality fruits, Superplum sees ample room to grow, which motivated the build-out of its supply chain from scratch. The company now handles more than 25 fruits, including 11 types of mangoes, and distributes cherries from Kashmir year-round across India.
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