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Export herbal and plant extracts

Standardised botanical extracts for supplements, cosmetics and pharma. Free to export, but extracts of prohibited wild plants are not.

Free, with conditionsHS 1302.19
HS code
1302.19
Vegetable saps and extracts other than opium, liquorice, hops and ephedra: extracts of ashwagandha, neem, gymnema, garcinia, ginseng and many other plants.
Export policy
Free, with conditions
Free in general, but plants, plant portions and their derivatives and extracts obtained from the wild of the species on the prohibited list in Schedule 2 (and species in the Wild Life Act schedules or CITES Appendix I) may not be exported, except as value-added formulations. Cultivated material needs a certificate of cultivation. Confirm your plant on DGFT.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 684 mn
to 105 countries

What is exported

Indian extraction plants in Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh make standardised extracts of Ayurvedic and other herbs — ashwagandha, turmeric, boswellia, garcinia, gymnema, bacopa, moringa and more. Buyers are supplement brands, contract manufacturers and cosmetic and pharma companies in the USA, Europe and Asia. Quality, documentation and traceability matter more than price.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Standardised extractsAshwagandha (withanolides), boswellia (boswellic acids), garcinia (HCA), gymnema and bacopa.
  • Full-spectrum and ratio extractsFor example 10:1 extracts of moringa, tulsi and amla.
  • Neem and other agricultural extractsUsed in bio-pesticides and personal care.
  • Organic extractsFrom NPOP-certified organic herbs, at a premium.

Where it is grown or made

  • KarnatakaBengaluru, Mysuru and Tumakuru extraction plants.
  • Gujarat and MaharashtraVadodara, Ahmedabad and Mumbai–Pune.
  • Kerala and Tamil NaduKochi and Coimbatore — spice and botanical extractors.
  • Madhya Pradesh and TelanganaAshwagandha belt of Neemuch–Mandsaur; Hyderabad plants.

Export packing

  • Double food-grade polythene liners in fibre drums or cartons of 25 kg, with desiccant; labelled with batch, assay and expiry.
  • Small lots by air; larger orders by LCL or FCL sea freight.

Who buys abroad

  • Dietary-supplement brands and contract manufacturers
  • Ingredient distributors in the USA, EU, Japan and Korea
  • Cosmetic, pharma and functional-food companies

The quality buyers ask for

Marker assay
Stated percentage of active marker by HPLC (e.g. withanolides 2.5–5%, curcuminoids 95%)
Extraction solvent and ratio
Water, ethanol or other solvent declared; residual solvents within ICH limits
Heavy metals and pesticides
Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and pesticide residues within US/EU limits
Microbiology
Total plate count, yeast and mould within limits; pathogens absent

Certificates

  • RCMCRequiredRegistration with the export promotion council or board for your product (not needed up to ₹3 lakh FOB per consignment since 15 Sep 2026).
  • GMP / WHO-GMPOften askedGood manufacturing practice for the extraction plant, expected by supplement and pharma buyers.
  • FSSAIRequiredCentral food licence for the processing and packing premises (FoSCoS).
  • US FDA food facility registrationOften askedRequired for any plant that makes, packs or holds food for the USA.
  • Organic (NPOP / USDA NOP / EU)Often askedNeeded only if you sell as organic; certify through an accredited body.
  • KosherOften askedAsked for by many US ingredient buyers.
  • HalalOften askedAsked for by Gulf, Malaysian and Indonesian buyers.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Drums of 25 kg; small lots by air, larger lots by LCL or a 20-ft container.

How it travels

Air from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad; sea from Chennai, Nhava Sheva and Mundra.

Storage

Cool, dry place away from light; some extracts need refrigeration.

Shelf life

Typically 2–3 years from manufacture, as stated on the certificate of analysis.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Drums: product name with botanical name and plant part, assay, batch, manufacture and retest/expiry dates, net weight, storage conditions and manufacturer.
  • Every carton or bag: product, grade, lot or batch number, net and gross weight, exporter name and “Made in India” / “Product of India”, matching the invoice and packing list.
Where to get it tested

Use NABL-accredited labs with herbal and pesticide testing in scope (nabl-india.org); Ayush-approved drug testing labs test herbal products (ayush.gov.in). Buyers may also ask for third-party testing by a lab they name.

Benefits of exporting this product

  • RoDTEP: 1% of FOB

    Tariff item 1302 19 19 (other vegetable extracts) earns 1% of FOB value, with no rupee cap, as a duty credit scrip on ICEGATE (Appendix 4R). Some extracts have their own lines: gymnema (1302 19 17) 2.5% capped at ₹104 per kg, garcinia (1302 19 18) 1.4%, neem (1302 19 16) and others 0.5%. Rates continue to 31 Dec 2026 (DGFT Notification 41/2026-27). Confirm your exact 8-digit line on DGFT before pricing an order.

    DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25) ↗

Where to register

  • SHEFEXILRCMC from the Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council, which covers lac, guar gum, herbs, vegetable saps and extracts, and minor forest produce under Appendix 2T.shellacepc.com ↗
  • Pharmexcil / AYUSHEXCILIf you sell herbal medicines or Ayurvedic products rather than plain extracts, the RCMC comes from Pharmexcil or AYUSHEXCIL under Appendix 2T.pharmexcil.com ↗

Quality and checks

  • Certificate of analysis for marker compounds (for example withanolides, curcuminoids, boswellic acids) by HPLC, plus solvent residues.
  • Heavy metals, pesticide residues, microbiology and, for the EU, ethylene oxide and pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
  • Regulatory status in the destination: US dietary supplement rules (DSHEA, cGMP), EU novel food or traditional herbal rules.
How to start small

Pick two or three extracts from cultivated herbs (ashwagandha, moringa, turmeric) and partner with a GMP-certified extraction plant. Send samples with full analysis to ingredient distributors in the USA or EU, and start with drums sent by air or LCL sea freight. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires for the product still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Exporting an extract of a wild-collected prohibited species — shipments are seized.
  • Marker content lower in the buyer’s lab than on your certificate, because methods differ; agree the test method in the contract.
  • Making health claims on labels or sales material that the destination does not allow.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (6)
  1. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  2. DGFT — How to read the ITC(HS) export policy (Schedule 2)
  3. SHEFEXIL — Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council
  4. Pharmexcil — official site
  5. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25)
  6. US FDA — Dietary supplements

Trade data

Indian herbal and plant extracts exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 684 mn
+13.2% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +17.9%
US$ 580 mn → US$ 684 mn
Buyer countries
105
Average export price
US$ 13.36
per kg · 51,169 tonnes shipped · US$ 31.59 the year before
United States of America: US$ 271 mnSouth Korea: US$ 49.4 mnSri Lanka: US$ 47.5 mnGermany: US$ 40.5 mnCanada: US$ 35.6 mnJapan: US$ 21.1 mnItaly: US$ 20.2 mnAustralia: US$ 19.7 mnChina: US$ 17.8 mnVietnam: US$ 16.9 mnIreland: US$ 16.8 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 12.3 mnFrance: US$ 12.3 mnSpain: US$ 12.2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 9.6 mnNetherlands: US$ 9.2 mnTaiwan: US$ 7 mnBrazil: US$ 6.7 mnPoland: US$ 5 mnThailand: US$ 4.9 mnMalaysia: US$ 4.4 mnNew Zealand: US$ 4.1 mnSingapore: US$ 3.7 mnBelgium: US$ 2.7 mnUnited States of America: US$ 271 mnUnited States of AmericaSouth Korea: US$ 49.4 mnSouth KoreaSri Lanka: US$ 47.5 mnSri LankaGermany: US$ 40.5 mnGermanyCanada: US$ 35.6 mnJapan: US$ 21.1 mnItaly: US$ 20.2 mnItalyAustralia: US$ 19.7 mnAustraliaChina: US$ 17.8 mnVietnam: US$ 16.9 mnIreland: US$ 16.8 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 12.3 mnFrance: US$ 12.3 mnSpain: US$ 12.2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 9.6 mnNetherlands: US$ 9.2 mnTaiwan: US$ 7 mnBrazil: US$ 6.7 mnPoland: US$ 5 mnThailand: US$ 4.9 mnMalaysia: US$ 4.4 mnNew Zealand: US$ 4.1 mnSingapore: US$ 3.7 mnBelgium: US$ 2.7 mnIndia
Where Indian herbal and plant extracts goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 369 mn3692020-212021-22: US$ 444 mn4442021-222022-23: US$ 443 mn4432022-232023-24: US$ 452 mn4522023-242024-25: US$ 580 mn5802024-252025-26: US$ 684 mn6842025-26
India’s herbal and plant extracts exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2020-21, lowest in 2025-26 — a 164% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 35.29 per kg35.292021-22: US$ 28.19 per kg2022-23: US$ 15.61 per kg2024-25: US$ 31.59 per kg2025-26: US$ 13.36 per kg13.362020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian herbal and plant extracts · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 369 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 444 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 443 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 452 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 580 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 684 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 717 mn (US$ 640 mn – US$ 803 mn)7172026-272027-28: US$ 802 mn (US$ 707 mn – US$ 910 mn)8022027-28
India’s herbal and plant extracts exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 802 mn

Likely range US$ 707 mn to US$ 910 mn.

Trend
+11.8% a year
Fit (R²)
0.89
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 271 mn-15.2%
2South KoreaUS$ 49.4 mn+14.5%
3Sri LankaUS$ 47.5 mn+2,482.6%
4GermanyUS$ 40.5 mn+54.1%
5CanadaUS$ 35.6 mn+881.5%
6JapanUS$ 21.1 mn+13.1%
7ItalyUS$ 20.2 mn+6.6%
8AustraliaUS$ 19.7 mn+8%
9ChinaUS$ 17.8 mn+29.4%
10VietnamUS$ 16.9 mn+919.9%
11IrelandUS$ 16.8 mn+207.5%
12United Arab EmiratesUS$ 12.3 mn+11.9%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. Sri LankaUS$ 1.8 mn → US$ 47.5 mn+2,482.6%
  2. VietnamUS$ 1.7 mn → US$ 16.9 mn+919.9%
  3. CanadaUS$ 3.6 mn → US$ 35.6 mn+881.5%
  4. IrelandUS$ 5.5 mn → US$ 16.8 mn+207.5%
  5. NetherlandsUS$ 5.4 mn → US$ 9.2 mn+68.7%
  6. GermanyUS$ 26.3 mn → US$ 40.5 mn+54.1%
  7. SpainUS$ 8.9 mn → US$ 12.2 mn+37.4%
  8. FranceUS$ 9.1 mn → US$ 12.3 mn+35.8%

Low demand

  1. United States of AmericaUS$ 320 mn → US$ 271 mn-15.2%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1 — other extracts1302 19 19US$ 549 mn+6.1%9,883 tonnesUS$ 55.52 per kgwas US$ 61.61
Others, derived from vegetble prodcts1302 19 90 · Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1US$ 85.3 mn+134.4%1,798 tonnesUS$ 47.46 per kgwas US$ 56.51
Cnsl (cardanol) purified and distilled1302 19 30 · Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1US$ 24.5 mn+283.1%34,602 tonnesUS$ 0.71 per kgwas US$ 0.85
Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1 — extracts, neem1302 19 16US$ 12.4 mn+59.9%49 tonnesUS$ 254.74 per kgwas US$ 270.20
Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1 — cambodge extract1302 19 18US$ 8.4 mn-2.8%673 tonnesUS$ 12.52 per kgwas US$ 12.29
Cashew shell liquid (cnsl)1302 19 20 · Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1US$ 2.2 mn+180%4,047 tonnesUS$ 0.55 per kgwas US$ 0.82
Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1 — gymnema extract,1302 19 17US$ 1.8 mn-12.7%88 tonnesUS$ 20.46 per kgwas US$ 28.22
Ginseng extract includinguding powder1302 19 14 · Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1US$ 230k+21.1%7.2 tonnesUS$ 31.75 per kgwas US$ 31.45
Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1 — extracts belladona1302 19 11US$ 190k-26.9%22 tonnesUS$ 8.62 per kgwas US$ 61.73
Vegetable saps and extracts in item no. 1302.1 — agar0se1302 19 15US$ 20k0%0.4 tonnesUS$ 45.87 per kgwas US$ 120.48

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 3.6 bn
2023
India among exporters
#2
of 125 countries
India’s share of world exports
11.2%
US$ 439 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 3.48 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 1.52 bn 38.9%
  2. 2IndiaUS$ 439 mn 11.2%
  3. 3FranceUS$ 321 mn 8.2%
  4. 4USAUS$ 254 mn 6.5%
  5. 5SpainUS$ 247 mn 6.3%
  6. 6GermanyUS$ 202 mn 5.2%
  7. 7ItalyUS$ 125 mn 3.2%
  8. 8Viet NamUS$ 84.3 mn 2.2%
  9. 9NetherlandsUS$ 65.3 mn 1.7%
  10. 10SwitzerlandUS$ 59.8 mn 1.5%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 928 mn 25.8%
  2. 2GermanyUS$ 272 mn 7.5%
  3. 3Rep. of KoreaUS$ 245 mn 6.8%
  4. 4ItalyUS$ 157 mn 4.3%
  5. 5China, Hong Kong SARUS$ 154 mn 4.3%
  6. 6FranceUS$ 138 mn 3.8%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 137 mn 3.8%
  8. 8SpainUS$ 131 mn 3.6%
  9. 9JapanUS$ 116 mn 3.2%
  10. 10ChinaUS$ 111 mn 3.1%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 1.14 bnIndia 32.5% · gap US$ 772 mn
GermanyUS$ 307 mnIndia 7.2% · gap US$ 285 mn
South KoreaUS$ 217 mnIndia 9.3% · gap US$ 196 mn
ItalyUS$ 156 mnIndia 12.2% · gap US$ 137 mn
FranceUS$ 144 mnIndia 7.3% · gap US$ 133 mn
SpainUS$ 130 mnIndia 6.9% · gap US$ 121 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 121 mnIndia 4.6% · gap US$ 115 mn
CanadaUS$ 110 mnIndia 7.6% · gap US$ 102 mn
JapanUS$ 104 mnIndia 10.1% · gap US$ 93.2 mn
AustraliaUS$ 97.8 mnIndia 20.3% · gap US$ 77.9 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export herbal and plant extracts

China leads the world trade in plant extracts, with India, the USA and Europe as other major suppliers. India’s strength is Ayurvedic botanicals — ashwagandha, turmeric, boswellia and others — backed by a large herb-growing base and extraction capacity. Demand comes from dietary supplements, functional foods, cosmetics and pharma, and grows with interest in natural products. Buyers reward documented quality, traceability to farms and clean test results over low price.

  1. 01Check the plant’s status

    Confirm the species is not on the prohibited list and use cultivated material with a certificate of cultivation.

  2. 02Check the buyer’s regulation

    Check whether the extract is allowed as a supplement or food ingredient in the destination.

  3. 03Source and extract

    Buy traceable raw herbs, test them, then extract and standardise under GMP.

  4. 04Test and document

    Issue a certificate of analysis, specification sheet and safety data; send pre-shipment samples.

  5. 05Book, stuff and file the shipping bill

    Book the container, stuff it at the factory or a CFS, file the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the correct 8-digit code and the RoDTEP/RoSCTL declaration, and get the bill of lading.

  6. 06Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP, RoSCTL or drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting herbal and plant extracts

Can I export any herbal extract?
Most are free, but extracts of prohibited wild-collected plants are not, except as value-added formulations. Check the plant on DGFT.
Which council should I join?
SHEFEXIL for vegetable saps and extracts; Pharmexcil or AYUSHEXCIL if you sell herbal medicines or Ayurvedic products.
Do I need FDA approval for the USA?
Dietary ingredients do not need pre-approval, but the facility must be FDA-registered and new ingredients may need a notification. Claims are regulated.
Why do buyers reject extracts?
Low marker content, pesticide or heavy-metal failures, ethylene oxide (EU) and missing documents.
What RoDTEP applies?
Other vegetable extracts (1302 19 19) earn 1%; gymnema 2.5% capped at ₹104 per kg; garcinia 1.4%.
Sources (6)
  1. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  2. DGFT — How to read the ITC(HS) export policy (Schedule 2)
  3. SHEFEXIL — Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council
  4. Pharmexcil — official site
  5. US FDA — Dietary supplements
  6. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25)

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