Sesame Seeds clusters in India
| Cluster | State / districts | Type | Season | Export gateway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saurashtra hulling cluster / Bundelkhand | Gujarat; UP; MP; Rajasthan; West Bengal — Rajkot; Amreli; Bhavnagar; Jhansi; Lalitpur | agricultural | Kharif harvest Sep-Oct (ASSUMPTION) | Mundra |
| Kochi spice trade hub (Mattancherry) / Wayanad | Kerala; Karnataka — Idukki; Wayanad; Kozhikode (KL); Kodagu; Chikkamagaluru (KA) | agricultural | Harvest Dec-Feb (ASSUMPTION) | Cochin |
| Haryana-Punjab-west UP processing belt (exports move via ICD Sonipat 29%, ICD Chowpayal 14%) | Uttar Pradesh; West Bengal; Punjab; Bihar; Rajasthan; Haryana — Saharanpur; Muzaffarnagar (UP); Sundarbans; Murshidabad (WB); Ludhiana; Patiala (PB); Muzaffarpur (BR litchi); Sonipat/Panipat (HR processors) | agricultural | Mustard flow Dec-Feb; litchi Apr; eucalyptus/multiflora Mar-May (ASSUMPTION; ICRIER lists mustard/litchi/eucalyptus as main flows) | Mundra |
Cluster notes
Sesame exports Apr-Dec 2024: 1,83,633 MT (+2.35%) - IOPEPC (tier 3); CY2025 273,369 t vs 239,560 t CY2024 (trade report, tier 5) Assessment: India among top-3 exporters; Korea/Japan/EU/US; hulled-sesame value addition in Gujarat
Pepper exports 20,830 t / USD 124.54 mn (2024-25 revised final); 19,806 t / USD 137.84 mn (2025-26 final) - Spices Board item-wise (tier 1) Assessment: India is a net importer of pepper in some years; exports of value-added (sterilised, white, oleoresin) grow; price-competitive vs Vietnam only on premium grades
Exports 100,773 MT / USD 206.47 mn FY2024-25 (DGCIS via APEDA, tier 1); 1,14,570 MT FY2025-26 (APEDA page); production 1.51 lakh t 2024-25 (ICRIER); UP 17%, WB 16%, PB 14%, BR 12%, RJ 9% of production (MoA&FW via APEDA) Assessment: USD 206 mn FY25 but ~78% to US (tariff/anti-dumping risk); diversify to GCC/EU with traceability; MEP USD 1,400/t in force to 31 Dec 2026
Associations and directories
Export promotion and producer bodies relevant to sesame seeds: IOPEPC (Indian Oilseeds & Produce EPC); Spices Board India; APEDA.
Frequently asked questions
Which Indian state produces the most sesame seeds?
Our cluster data lists Gujarat; UP; MP; Rajasthan; West Bengal, Kerala; Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh; West Bengal; Punjab; Bihar; Rajasthan; Haryana as the main sources; see the table for districts and seasons.
When is the sesame seeds season in India?
Gujarat; UP; MP; Rajasthan; West Bengal: Kharif harvest Sep-Oct (ASSUMPTION); Kerala; Karnataka: Harvest Dec-Feb (ASSUMPTION).
How do you verify sesame seeds suppliers?
We check registrations (GST, IEC, FSSAI or BIS where relevant), visit the unit, review past export documents and test a sample lot before listing a supplier.
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