Namdhari’s Group, one of India’s leading agri-production companies is expecting to increase its exports business from around 2500 MT in FY 22 to 3500 MT in FY 23. Namdhari’s has established its presence as a significant player in quality seeds for international and domestic markets and fresh fruits and vegetables for exports.
The company currently exports a range of fresh vegetables to Western Europe, Australia, and Middle East and will be adding new products as well. With more than 500 commercial varieties of seeds in 20 different crops under our belt, Namdhari’s Seeds develops hybrids that suit diverse market requirements, match regional preferences and are also disease resistant and yield tasty produce.
Today, Namdhari’s has seed-producing facilities spread across India. Namdhari Seeds has also expanded its research and sales activity in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia in South East Asia, and Middle East countries. They are one of the very few seed companies in India which have grown locally and expanded internationally.
“The domestic market contributes 75% of our revenues and the remaining 25% is accounted for from exports. The total exports for the current financial year would be in the region of around 2500 metric tonnes and we are aiming to increase this to 3500 metric tonnes in the coming financial year. Our largest exports would be to Western Europe. All our produce conforms to the stringent quality norms of the countries that we export to. A lot of our produce makes its way to supermarkets across the world,” says Gurmukh Roopra, CEO, Namdhari Group.
“We have a certified packhouse from APEDA for the export of vegetables and fruits, we are certified by BRC & FSSAI. With regard to the domestic market, we produce and handle more than 200 tonnes a day of fresh fruits and vegetables. We work closely with dedicated farmers and also grow a variety of domestic and exotic crops on our own state-of-the-art farms spread across the country. We are the largest producer of Baby Corn in India and grow off-season and exotic fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Crops like tomatoes, chillies, watermelon, and melons were a huge success and benefitted lakhs of farmers around the country. At one stage, the seeds had to be sold under the supervision of the Government because of huge demand. We were able to achieve this success mainly due to the indigenous breeding program with most of the crop development programs being run in different parts of the country.” says Gurmukh Roopra, CEO, of Namdhari Group.
Namdhari’s grow strawberries, blueberries, personalized sized and seedless watermelons, a variety of melons, specialty vegetables like lettuce, baby vegetables, micro-greens, orange-flesh sweet potato, butternut squash, a variety of tomatoes, gourds, cucumber, chilli and okra among others. The company has a 200-acre farm in Bidadi, near Bangalore houses Namdhari’s R&D centre.
The R&D department in Namdharis houses molecular biology, tissue culture, and plant pathology labs. Additionally, the company has research and trial stations in different parts of the country. More than 30 scientists are employed in this department.
“India has become the second-largest vegetable producer in the world and the seed industry has contributed immensely through genetically superior seeds. Among the Indian companies, Namdhari Seeds is one of the largest sellers and exporters of vegetable seeds in the country. Many small growers benefit by growing our seeds. We provide technology for seed production in different parts of the country. Presently there are more than 10,000 growers producing seeds for us, each grower will be creating employment of 5-10 persons. Today, Namdhari’s is India’s only true seed to plate company with an outward-looking approach having operations in India, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, Turkey and Bulgaria. We not only produce fruits, vegetables, and staples but also make them available to people via large format retail stores, which include kitchens that craft signature delicacies for patrons.” Gurmukh Roopra added.
Namdhari’s have 23 Namdhari’s Fresh stores and 8 Simpli Namdhari’s stores. As a concept, the Namdhari’s Fresh stores are smaller in size, 1200-1500 sqft, with a limited assortment, correlating with how modern retail in India began.
Namdhari’s Group is aiming to become a leading regional player in the state before expanding its operations to Hyderabad. The company is planning an investment of Rs. 50 crores in Hyderabad over the next 24 months to set up 5 Simpli Namdhari’s experience stores, growing facilities and stand-alone Simpli Food stores. The company is also planning dairy subscriptions. Namdhari’s also had its own house brands which include a baked range of snacks, a less fried range of snacks, the ready-to-pick-and-go food, ready-to-cook-at-home food, and a dairy range of products including milk.
