India, April 15 -- The roundtable on Indias Cocoa Future: Self Sufficiency and Global Value Chain Integration commenced with the launch of the knowledge paper, Empowering the cocoa sector: A strategic roadmap for driving Atmanirbhar Bharat through sustainable farming. The launch took place in the presence of Shri Naveen Kumar Patle, Additional Commissioner (Horticulture), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India; Dr P.C. Tripathi, Principal Scientist, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); Ms Saloni Goel and Mr Hemanth Seth from FICCI; and Mr Chirag Jain, Partner and Food Processing Industry Leader, Grant Thornton Bharat, along with other esteemed participants.
Addressing the roundtable, Shri Naveen Kumar Patle stated, As a predominantly import-dependent crop, cocoa faces critical challenges across production and post-harvest management in India. The insights and recommendations shared by stakeholders during the roundtable provide a strong foundation to address these gaps. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare will leverage these inputs to shape a dedicated policy framework for cocoa, in line with the announcements made in the Union Budget 202627, to strengthen domestic production, enhance value chains, and reduce import dependency.Syed Junaid Altaf, chairperson, FICCI Task Force on Horticulture & Group Executive Director, FIL emphasised that cocoa holds immense untapped potential to boost farmer incomes, strengthen agri-industry linkages, and support value-added and export-oriented growth in the years ahead.
Chirag Jain, partner, Grant Thornton Bharat, emphasised the importance of collaboration across the value chain. At the cocoa roundtable, we emphasised the need for stronger collaboration across the value chain. The Cocoa Stewardship Forum can serve as a critical platform to bring together industry, government, and other key stakeholders to drive aligned action and strengthen the cocoa ecosystem, he said. He further highlighted the need for an industry-led platform to bridge existing gaps, foster collaboration, and support informed policy formulation and decision-making.
Industry leaders, including Mondelez, Barry Callebaut, Olam Food Ingredients, CAMPCO and Harisons Malayalam Limited, highlighted the need for a redefined policy architecture. At the cocoa roundtable, it is evident that a redefined policy architecture with a dedicated national programme for cocoa is the need of the hour. The industry believes that a focused, enabling ecosystembacked by strong policy supportcan unlock the true potential of Indias cocoa sector, strengthen farmer livelihoods, and accelerate the journey towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, they stated.
Key action points discussed at the roundtable:
Dedicated R&D and quality seedlings development, including expansion of polyclonal gardens and establishment of a Centre of Excellence on cocoa
Streamlined and enhanced subsidy support for cocoa adoption through a single-window system
Strengthening primary processing infrastructure for fermentation, drying, and quality stabilization
Rationalisation of tax and tariff structures to correct inverted duties and incentivise domestic processing and FDI
Promotion of regional value-creation models to position India as a competitive global cocoa processing hub
The knowledge paper, developed by Grant Thornton Bharat in collaboration with FICCI and released at the Cocoa Roundtable, outlines a long-term vision to transform India into a self-sufficient and globally competitive cocoa economy by 204041.
Key insights from the report
Indias cocoa sector is at a critical inflection point. Despite rising domestic demand, the country currently meets only 2530 per cent of its cocoa requirements through domestic production, with imports exceeding USD 866 million annually. This widening demandsupply gap presents a strategic opportunity to strengthen domestic production, enhance farmer incomes, and reduce import dependency.
The report highlights cocoa as a high-potential crop for agricultural diversification, offering strong benefits in terms of climate resilience, intercropping compatibility, and long-term income stability for farmers.
Key challenges identified
Structural bottlenecks: Limited access to quality planting material, fragmented policy support, underutilised processing capacity, and weak digital traceability systems
Economic constraints: An inverted duty structure that favours imports of finished cocoa products over raw beans, discouraging domestic value addition
R&D and extension gaps: Insufficient region-specific research and lack of robust farmer training and extension services
High entry barriers for farmers: Long gestation periods and significant upfront investment requirements
Strategic recommendations
National Mission on Cocoa: Establish a unified policy framework and expand polyclonal seed gardens to 250 hectares by 2028, with a focus on tribal and rainfed regions
R&D and innovation: Develop high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties and establish a Centre of Excellence for cocoa
Policy and financial support: Enhance subsidies, introduce a single-window digital platform, and strengthen FPOs
Digital transformation: Enable end-to-end traceability, digital advisory, and market intelligence systems
Trade and market reforms: Rationalise import duties and strengthen quality, certification, and traceability to boost domestic processingThe report underscores that India has a significant opportunity to build a self-reliant, sustainable and globally competitive cocoa ecosystem by addressing structural inefficiencies, strengthening research and innovation, and enabling coordinated action across stakeholders.