Exploring the Export Potential of Indian Poultry Products

India’s poultry sector has quietly grown into one of the most significant agricultural success stories of the past three decades. From backyard flocks to vertically integrated commercial operations, the country now ranks among the world’s top producers of eggs and broiler meat. But production alone doesn’t define the story – what’s increasingly important is how India positions itself in the global poultry export market, a space filled with both substantial opportunity and formidable competition.

India’s standing in global poultry production 🔗

India’s poultry output today is substantial by any measure. According to APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), the country produced 142.77 billion eggs in 2023-24, making it second in the world in total egg production. On the broiler meat side, The Poultry Site reports that India exported poultry products to 64 countries during 2022-23, generating USD 134 million in revenue.

The domestic market size tells a parallel story. IMARC Group values the India poultry market at INR 2,304 billion as of 2024, projected to reach INR 8,430 billion by 2033 at a CAGR of 12.60%. These numbers reflect not just domestic demand, but a production base that is now large enough to consistently generate exportable surpluses.

Key producing states 🔗

Poultry production is not uniformly spread across India. APEDA data shows that the top five egg-producing states – Andhra Pradesh (17.85%), Tamil Nadu (15.64%), Telangana (12.87%), West Bengal (11.37%), and Karnataka (6.62%) – together account for over 64% of the country’s total egg production. These states have well-developed cold storage infrastructure, established processing units, and direct links to export corridors, giving them a natural head start in supplying international markets.

What India currently exports 🔗

India’s poultry export basket includes processed and frozen chicken meat, table eggs, egg powder, and frozen egg yolk. Poultry Trends reports that poultry exports reached USD 184.58 million in 2023-24. In FY 2024-25, APEDA data confirms that exports stood at approximately USD 168.77 million covering over one million metric tonnes of product.

The major export destinations in 2024-25 are Oman, UAE, Maldives, Indonesia, and Vietnam, with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries continuing to be the most reliable buyers. Research published on SSRN confirms that Oman and Maldives have been stable, long-term import partners for Indian poultry products.

The halal factor 🔗

A key reason the Middle East dominates India’s poultry export destinations is the demand for halal-certified products. Mordor Intelligence reports that India shipped USD 183 million worth of poultry products to the Middle East in 2023-24, a remarkable 41.4% year-on-year increase, covering destinations including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Halal certification has become a non-negotiable requirement for these markets, and Indian exporters increasingly recognize that securing credible halal accreditation is as important as maintaining product quality itself.

The same report notes, however, that fewer than a dozen large-scale processing plants currently hold multi-country halal accreditation, which remains a bottleneck limiting how quickly India can scale exports to these markets.

Competitive advantages India holds 🔗

India’s export proposition is built on several genuine structural strengths. First, cost competitiveness: Maeeshat notes that Indian halal meat is priced 20-30% lower than comparable products from Brazil and Australia, and India’s geographical proximity to the Middle East further reduces shipping costs. Second, production scale: Expert Market Research puts India’s annual broiler meat output at around 4.5 million tonnes and annual egg production at over 140 billion – figures that give exporters a reliable, high-volume supply base. Third, vertical integration: leading companies now control the full chain from breeder farms to processing and retail, which reduces costs, improves quality consistency, and makes it easier to meet international buyer requirements.

Challenges standing in the way 🔗

Despite these advantages, India’s share of global poultry trade remains modest. Several structural and competitive challenges explain why.

Subsidies from the USA and EU 🔗

Perhaps the most talked-about challenge is the uneven playing field created by subsidies in the USA and European Union. An FAO analysis traces this back decades – India’s exports of egg powder, for instance, declined sharply after 1996 partly due to the subsidies granted by the EU and US, which allowed those competitors to offer products at prices that did not reflect their actual cost of production. India, by contrast, provides no direct subsidies to the poultry industry, meaning Indian exporters must compete on genuine efficiency and quality rather than on price support.

Stringent quality and safety standards 🔗

International markets, particularly in Europe and parts of Asia, enforce rigorous quality standards that cover everything from farm biosecurity to cold chain management and processing facility hygiene. Research published on ResearchGate identifies non-tariff barriers – including sanitary and phytosanitary standards, technical barriers to trade, and anti-dumping duties – as primary constraints on India realizing its export potential. Compliance with systems like HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) demands significant investment in training, infrastructure, and monitoring.

High production costs and feed dependency 🔗

Poultry Trends points out that feed costs account for approximately 70% of total poultry production costs in India. The cost of feed in India is higher compared to countries like the USA, China, and Brazil, which have access to cheaper corn and soybean supplies. This places Indian exporters at a structural cost disadvantage that pricing strategies alone cannot overcome.

Avian influenza and disease risks 🔗

Outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) remain a recurring export risk. Academic research documents how previous AI outbreaks led to complete import bans on Indian poultry products by several countries. As recently as 2024, the Indian Department of Animal Husbandry implemented a three-pronged strategy – stricter biosecurity, intensified surveillance, and compulsory farm registration – to manage this risk and maintain market access.

Processing infrastructure gaps 🔗

India’s processing capacity, while growing, has not kept pace with production scale. Poultry Trends notes that the share of frozen processed products remains minimal relative to total output, and that the country needs more large-capacity, internationally accredited slaughterhouses and processing facilities to consistently meet export volume requirements. The transition from supplying live birds to chilled and frozen products – a critical step for international competitiveness – is still underway.

Government policy and export promotion 🔗

India’s policy framework has evolved to directly address these gaps. A detailed 2025 industry overview highlights several active government initiatives: the National Livestock Mission (NLM) provides financial assistance and subsidies for poultry development; the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) supports investments in processing and cold chain infrastructure; and APEDA actively promotes export certification and participation in international trade events.

On cold chain development, Expert Market Research notes that the government is allocating around USD 230 million to develop 395 cold-chain projects under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, a direct investment in the logistics backbone that export growth requires. Additionally, the Indian Poultry Alliance, launched in 2024, plans to invest approximately USD 240 million by 2028 in halal-certified production lines to sharpen India’s competitive position in the Middle East.

Pathways to growing India’s global market share 🔗

India’s ability to expand its export footprint will depend on a combination of product strategy, infrastructure investment, and market development. Three approaches stand out:

Value addition and processed products: Moving beyond commodity exports – whole birds or shell eggs – to branded, processed, and ready-to-cook products allows for higher margins and stronger buyer relationships. Urban markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe represent growing demand for convenience poultry products.

Market diversification: While the Middle East remains the core export region, The Poultry Site highlights that India already exports to 64 countries, a base that can be expanded further – particularly in Southeast Asia and Africa, where halal demand is high and India’s cost and proximity advantages apply.

Quality and certification investment: Broader adoption of internationally recognized certifications – including HACCP, ISO standards, and multi-country halal accreditation – will be central to gaining access to premium markets. Mordor Intelligence identifies scaling up the number of processing plants with multi-country halal accreditation as one of the most pressing near-term priorities for export growth.

The road ahead 🔗

India’s poultry export journey is not one of unfulfilled potential – it is one of gradual, measurable progress against a backdrop of real structural challenges. The production base is large and growing. The government is investing in the right infrastructure. The demand from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and beyond is real and expanding. What remains is the consistent execution of quality standards, the scaling of accredited processing capacity, and a strategic approach to competing with heavily subsidized rivals from the USA and EU. IMARC Group’s market projections and the ongoing policy push from both APEDA and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry suggest that India is on the right trajectory – the pace of that progress, however, will be shaped by decisions made in the next few years.

What do you think? Given that India does not offer direct export subsidies while competitors in the USA and EU do, should India explore WTO-level negotiations more aggressively to level the playing field – or is the focus better placed on building domestic processing capacity and quality infrastructure? And as demand for halal-certified and antibiotic-free poultry grows globally, do you think India’s current certification framework is moving fast enough to capture that opportunity?

References

1. https://apeda.gov.in/PoultryProducts
2. https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/the-expanding-landscape-of-indias-poultry-sector
3. https://www.imarcgroup.com/indian-poultry-market
4. https://www.poultrytrends.in/feathers-of-change-transforming-indias-poultry-landscape/
5. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4888381
6. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/india-poultry-meat-market
7. https://maeeshat.in/the-halal-market-and-the-pivotal-role-of-indian-exporters-in-2025/
8. https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/india-poultry-market
9. https://www.fao.org/4/x6115e/x6115e0c.htm
10. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289995255_India's_exports_performance_in_poultry_products_and_the_potential_exports_destinations
11. https://www.poultrytrends.in/indian-poultry-exports-its-time-to-be-competitive/
12. https://indianherbs.org/blogs/choline-supplement/poultry-industry-in-india-trends-challenges-and-opportunities-in-2025