India’s fresh fruit export sector has achieved a significant milestone with the successful shipment of Indian mangoes to Singapore through sea freight, a move expected to reduce logistics costs and strengthen the competitiveness of mango exports in global markets.
The development follows a scientific sea shipment protocol created by the ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to support affordable and large-scale export of fresh mangoes.
As part of the initiative, a 4.3-tonne consignment of Banganappalli mangoes from Andhra Pradesh was transported to Singapore in a reefer container. The sea shipment route is expected to significantly reduce transportation costs, lowering logistics expenses to an estimated ₹13–20 per kg compared with ₹150–250 per kg through air freight.
The export protocol includes a comprehensive quality assurance framework covering residue-free cultivation, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), scientific harvesting, grading, packaging and post-harvest handling. The mangoes were processed using Hot Water Treatment and CISH-Met Wash technology developed by ICAR-CISH to improve shelf life and maintain fruit quality during long-distance transportation.
According to the institute, the protocol has helped extend mango shelf life to nearly 30 days under sea-shipment conditions. The Singapore consignment completed its journey in 16 days and arrived with maintained quality parameters and no reported disease incidence.
The successful trial is expected to create opportunities for expanding Indian mango exports to markets including Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, while also opening possibilities in larger markets such as the UAE. Industry stakeholders believe the development could improve export competitiveness, support farmers’ incomes and strengthen India’s horticulture ecosystem through more cost-effective and sustainable logistics solutions.