Fruit importer IG International forays into export markets with bananas, grapes and onions

KOLKATA: Mumbai-based leading fruit importer IG International has forayed into export markets with bananas, grapes and onions. The Rs 500 crore company is expecting to earn Rs 20 crore from its export business in 2017.

Talking to ET, Tarun Arora, director, IG International said "We are procuring grapes and onions from Nasik and bananas from Belgaum and Akola. We plan to export 5,000 tonnes of these items to the world markets. Bananas are being exported to Middle East. Onions are being send to Russia and grapes are going to Europe."

Arora, however, pointed out that Chile has emerged as a competitor in the global banana export markets. "The country has started exporting quite a good volume of grapes to the world market. That's a challenge for other exporting countries," Arora added.

IG International imports apples from Washington, China and Europe for the domestic market. It imports oranges from Egypt and South Africa and pears from China. "We also import kiwis. However, apples comprise a major portion of our imports," he said.

This year the company has also imported mangoes so that mango lovers can enjoy their favourite fruit even in the off-season. The company had launched the Shelly Mangoes, an exotic variety originating in South Africa to the country. The first batch of the fruit was launched in January and was available till the end of February.

The company uses its distribution network to cater to a pan-India market in cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata, Cochin, Patna, and Nagpur.