Diwali demand lifts Indian food exports, with ready-to-eat shipments reaching $2.4B
Festival-led orders for Indian sweets, snacks, spices and convenience foods are rising across GCC and European markets, according to TPCI. Ready-to-eat and cooked-food exports grew 16% to $2.4 billion in FY2025-26, while European imports reportedly rose about 25%.
What happened
Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) · Diwali demand is lifting Indian food and beverage export orders, especially sweets, snacks, spices and convenience
Key facts
- Average festive-demand growth of around 6% year-on-year
- Some markets and product categories reporting growth above 15%
- European ready-to-eat food imports up around 25% year-on-year
- Ready-to-eat and cooked food exports rose 16% to $2.4 billion in FY2025-26 from $2.1 billion
- A Kuwait buyer reported 28% year-on-year growth
What changed
Diwali demand is lifting Indian food and beverage export orders, especially sweets, snacks, spices and convenience foods. TPCI reports rising GCC and European demand, with ready-to-eat exports reaching $2.4 billion in FY2025-26 amid logistics and compliance challenges.
Why this matters
Use Diwali-led demand in GCC and Europe to prioritize inventory, export logistics and localized assortments for Indian ready-to-eat foods, sweets, snacks and spices.
What to watch
- Monthly Indian ready-to-eat and cooked-food export values and whether growth remains above the reported 16% rate after Diwali.
- European import data, retailer reorder activity and expansion from ethnic channels into mainstream supermarkets.
- GCC festive-season sales, distributor replenishment orders and changes in import or labeling requirements.
- Freight rates, INR movement versus the dollar/euro/dirham, and food commodity input costs.
- EU food-safety alerts, residue testing outcomes, border rejections or new packaging and sustainability rules.