-By R. Shankaran
There is a quiet revolution happening in the world of food. Across supermarkets in Singapore, specialty grocers in London, and health-food boutiques in New York, consumers are reaching for something older and more rooted — finger millet flour, cold-pressed sesame oil, turmeric-laced spice blends, artisanal mango pickles, and heritage rice varieties that trace their lineage back thousands of years. They are, without always knowing it, reaching for India.
Indian heritage foods — encompassing ancient grains, fermented staples, Ayurvedic functional foods, GI-tagged produce, cold-pressed oils, and time-honoured dairy derivatives — are having a genuine global moment. And unlike many food trends, this one is not built on novelty. It is built on science, culture, and an increasingly health-conscious global consumer who is done settling for processed substitutes. What makes this moment particularly significant is that demand is growing simultaneously from multiple directions: the diaspora, the wellness community, the sustainability-conscious shopper, and the premium food enthusiast — all converging on the same category at the same time.
A Market Worth Paying Attention To
The numbers tell a compelling story. The global ethnic food market was valued at USD 60 billion in 2025, with Indian cuisine firmly among the top three categories worldwide. Indian packaged and heritage food exports reached USD 5.1 billion in FY2025, with a 12% CAGR projected through 2030.
Southeast Asia is the fastest-growing destination, with Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand leading import demand. The global Indian diaspora — now over 35 million strong — creates consistent organic demand for authentic products wherever they settle. But diaspora alone does not explain the growth. Health-conscious consumers with no personal connection to India are actively turning to Ayurvedic foods, plant-based preparations, and fermented Indian staples as part of their pursuit of gut health and clean-label eating.
The Nutritional Case
Indian heritage foods are inherently functional — and that is not a marketing claim. It is a nutritional reality supported by centuries of practice and modern clinical research.
Ragi (finger millet), Jowar, and Bajra are calcium and iron-rich supergrains with low glycaemic indices, naturally gluten-free, and drought-resistant. Once dismissed as “poor man’s food” in India’s own domestic market, millets are now among the fastest-growing subcategories in Indian food exports. The UN declared 2023 the International Year of Millets — an extraordinary full-circle moment for a grain that had been quietly waiting in the wings.
India’s fermented food traditions are equally powerful. Idli and dosa batter, produced through natural lacto-fermentation, predate modern probiotic marketing by centuries. These products align perfectly with the gut-health mega-trend that is reshaping global consumer behaviour. And then there are the spices — turmeric, black pepper, fenugreek, ginger — bioactive compounds with clinically validated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. India dominates global spice production and export, with annual spice exports reaching USD 4.3 billion, growing at 14% year on year.
At the premium end, GI-tagged Indian products — Darjeeling tea, Basmati rice, Alphonso mangoes — command 25 to 40 percent price premiums in international markets, with provenance acting as both a quality guarantee and a powerful brand story.
Technology Meets Tradition
Consumers want ancient and authentic products — but they also want safety, consistency, and traceability. Resolving that tension is where modern food technology and heritage processing intersect.
AI-powered quality control and optical sorting systems are reducing rejection rates by 40% in spice and grain processing. Modified Atmosphere Packaging and High-Pressure Processing extend shelf life without preservatives. IoT-integrated processing plants deliver real-time farm-to-port traceability, meeting EU and Singapore SFA mandates. Blockchain-enabled supply chain authentication protects premium brands from counterfeiting. R&D labs are developing thoughtful reformulations — lower-sodium khichdi, protein-enriched idli mixes — for health-conscious export markets, adapting presentation without compromising nutritional integrity.
Singapore: The Gateway to ASEAN
If you were designing an ideal launchpad for Indian heritage foods into ASEAN, you would probably invent Singapore. It is ranked number one globally for ease of doing business. Its Indian-origin community represents 9% of the population — a ready initial market. The India-Singapore CECA provides meaningful tariff advantages on Indian food imports. Free trade agreements with 27 countries enable cost-effective re-export across the region. And Singapore’s status as a global F&B innovation hub opens doors to hotel chains, airline catering, and gourmet retail that few other markets can offer.
The ASEAN food market is projected to reach USD 1.4 trillion by 2030, and Singapore is the prime access point. India-Singapore bilateral trade hit USD 35 billion in 2025, with food and agri-products identified as a priority growth sector. The regulatory environment is aligned: Singapore Food Agency standards map cleanly to APEDA and FSSAI frameworks, making product registration genuinely streamlined.
The Investment Opportunity
India’s food processing sector — the country’s fifth-largest industry, contributing 12% of GDP and employing 26 million people — is the industrial backbone of this story. The government’s PLI scheme has attracted USD 2.4 billion in investments. FDI up to 100% is permitted under the automatic route. Singapore-based investors benefit from the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with India, and government grants and tax holidays are available for export-oriented food processing investments.
The premium Indian heritage food segment in Singapore remains nascent — and that is the opportunity. Early movers capture category-defining market share in a segment that will be significantly larger within five years. Entry structures are flexible: joint venture models, contract manufacturing, and private label agreements offer different risk and capital profiles to suit varied investor appetites. Comparable regional specialty food acquisitions in ASEAN have commanded 8 to 12 times EBITDA multiples, and exit pathways through strategic FMCG acquisition, PE buyout, or IPO via SGX Catalist are all credible.
Why Now
Post-pandemic consumers are seeking authentic, health-forward, clean-label foods. Millennials and Gen-Z in Singapore actively seek cultural cuisine experiences, and Indian heritage foods are gaining genuine lifestyle brand status. The ESG narrative — sustainable sourcing from smallholder farmers, traditional processing, natural ingredients — resonates powerfully with institutional investors conducting due diligence.
India has one of the oldest and most sophisticated food cultures on earth. Its heritage foods are not products invented to meet a trend — they are living traditions carrying accumulated nutritional wisdom and cultural meaning. As the world becomes more discerning, more health-conscious, and more culturally curious, their moment is not just arriving. It is here.
(The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Kitchen Herald or any properties of IMAWS.)
