1Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College, Bapatla
2Division of Agribusiness Management, ICAR-NAARM, Hyderabad
3Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College, Bapatla, ANGRAU
4Department of Agricultural Extension Education, ANGRAU, Guntur
5Statistics & Computer Applications, Agricultural College, Bapatla, A.P.
Online published on 2 February, 2026.
India's horticulture sector plays a crucial role in the agricultural economy, contributing over 33% of agriculture's Gross Value Added (GVA) and surpassing food grain production in recent years. Despite its productivity and diversity, including fruits, vegetables, spices, and nuts, the sector faces challenges such as perishability, market volatility, and inadequate infrastructure. To address these issues, the Government of India has implemented initiatives such as Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Operation Green, and e-NAM aimed at enhancing production, postharvest infrastructure, value addition, and market access. This paper examines key success stories and persistent gaps through case studies. This paper also documented success case of these schemes. One success case is dragon fruit cultivation under MIDH which has expanded in states like Telangana. The Malihabadi Dussehri mango, with its GI tag, has achieved international market penetration but continues to face production management challenges, pest issues, and price fluctuations is another success case recorded. The third success case is Mahagrapes, initiative launched by the Government of Maharashtra, has strengthened smallholder participation in global markets. The study concludes that while India's horticulture sector demonstrates strong growth potential, sustained success requires targeted investments in infrastructure, certification, market linkages, and farmer capacity building to ensure resilience, profitability, and equitable development.
Indian horticulture, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, Operation Green, Dragon fruit, Mahagrapes, And Malihabadi Dussehri mango