Chilean Kiwi Expands Its Presence in India by Entering Tier 2 Cities

By venturing into Tier 2 cities, Chilean Kiwis strengthens its position in the Indian market, with exponential import growth of 25% per year. Given their high vitamin C and antioxidant content, Chilean kiwis are becoming more and more popular in India, which is assisting in raising consumer awareness.

Due to the significant increase in Vitamin C consumption during and after the pandemic, there has been a positive reaction to the rise in demand for this fruit. Data from the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, show that between 2020–21 and 2021–22, the import of kiwifruit into India increased from 49,483 MT to 64,779 MT. During this time, kiwi fruit exports from Chile increased by 50.08 percent.

India continues to be an underserved market for kiwis, according to Sumit Saran, Director of SS Associates, the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee's Indian marketing office. The enormous potential of this fruit is only now being realized by consumers, who are just learning about its fantastic health benefits. We are bringing Chilean kiwifruit to cities across India, including Tier II and III cities, through strategic trade and retail partnerships and promotions. Chile and India have a preferential trade agreement, making Chilean kiwis much more accessible to Indian consumers.

Due to their excellent combination of vitamin C, dietary fibre, actinidin, potassium, and folate, kiwis are among the fruit that are the most nutrient-dense. A whopping 117 percent of your daily value for vitamin C and 21% of your daily value for dietary fibre can be found in just one serving of kiwifruit. In addition, kiwis are a good source of vitamin E and potassium. Kiwifruits contain more than twice as much vitamin C as oranges do.

According to research, eating fruit high in vitamin C, like kiwis, may have a significant protective effect against asthmatic respiratory symptoms like wheezing. Additionally, eating a few kiwifruits daily may help to significantly lower your risk of blood clots and lower blood fat levels (triglycerides), protecting your cardiovascular system. Its high fibre content can lower high cholesterol levels, which may lower the risk of heart disease, as well as keep diabetic patients' blood sugar levels under control. It also contains a lot of the mineral potassium.

According to Marcella Zuniga, ProChile's trade representative in India, "Due to the country's rising demand for kiwifruit, the Indian market holds great importance for Chilean fruit. Our goal with this campaign is to spread the word about Chile as a distinctive source of a wide range of food products while also promoting our kiwifruit.

Geographically fortunate, Chilean kiwis are a truly nutritious fruit from a paradise of agriculture. With the Atacama Desert, the Pacific Ocean, the Andes Mountains, and Patagonia strategically flanking it, Chile has a rich, fertile soil that produces excellent yields, including an abundance of fresh, bountiful fruits. The fruit is available from March through November, and Chile is currently one of the world's top producers of kiwifruit.

Charif Christian Carvajal, the ASOEX Marketing Director for Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, continues, "India is a very promising market for Chilean kiwifruit, and Chile will undoubtedly increase its presence in India with green kiwifruit. Due to the way our fruit industry is structured, Chile is well-positioned to meet diverse needs in terms of volume, packaging, arrivals, etc. India has many market segments with specific requirements. Additionally, Chilean kiwifruit hits the market during the monsoon season, which Indian consumers typically associate with kiwifruit. According to legend, the fruit boosts defenses against the seasonal epidemic of dengue fever.

The quality of the kiwifruit coming from Chile has pleased importers, distributors, and retailers in India thus far this season, says Carvajal. All significant traditional fruit vendors organized retail chains, and online retailers in India carry Chilean kiwifruits.