Cashews from India
The world's #2 cashew processor by volume — and the world's #1 consumer. India processes both its own raw cashew nut harvest and imported African RCN. Six states drive the trade, each with distinct specialties and price points.
Role
#2 processor • #1 consumer
Harvest
Feb – May (peak Mar – Apr)
Key certifications
FSSAI (mandatory), APEDA (export), BRC, HACCP, USDA Organic
Cashew regions of India
Goa
Heritage processing belt. Strong in W180–W240. Home of cashew feni — the only cashew apple distillate of trade significance.
Kerala
Kollam district is India's historical cashew processing hub. Large workforce, deep traditional capacity. Strong in W320 export.
Karnataka
Mangalore and Dakshina Kannada lead. Mid-size processors, mix of domestic and export.
Andhra Pradesh
Palasa cluster — strong domestic processing for the Indian sweets market.
Tamil Nadu
Panruti cluster — growing processing capacity, increasingly export-oriented.
Maharashtra
Konkan coast (Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri) — premium organic potential.
Why source from India
Indian cashews carry several advantages for international buyers:
- Auditability. FSSAI registration plus APEDA registration creates a paper trail back to facility. Most large Indian processors layer BRC, HACCP, and SMETA audits on top.
- Quality reputation. Indian processing — especially Goan and Keralan — is historically associated with careful grading and premium presentation. W180 and W240 from India typically command 1–3% premiums over equivalent Vietnamese grades in US and EU retail.
- Organic supply. Coastal Maharashtra and Karnataka have a credible organic cluster, helped by smaller-farm structures.
- English-language operations. Documentation, certificates, and correspondence in English reduce friction for US, UK, EU, and Middle East buyers.
Things to know
- Indian RCN supply is structurally short — most Indian processors blend domestic + imported African RCN. Pure "100% Indian origin" lots are scarce and trade at a premium.
- Goan processing capacity has declined over the past decade as land use shifts; pricing has firmed correspondingly.
- Kerala and Karnataka are the volume centres for W320 export.
- The domestic Indian market (sweets, snacking, gifting) often absorbs the best lots before they reach export — large festive seasons (Diwali, Eid) can compress export availability.