Piyush Goyal Inaugurates National Turmeric Board for 'Golden Spices'

In an effort to boost the development and production of turmeric and turmeric products in India the government of India has established the National Turmeric Board. India is the largest producer and exporter of turmeric in the world which is also known as Indian Saffron or Golden Spice. On 4 October 2023, the government of India notified the constitution of the National Turmeric Board but it was formally inaugurated by Piyush Goel on 14 January 2025.

Who inaugurated the National Turmeric Board and its Headquarters?

• The National Turmeric Board was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal through video conferencing in New Delhi.
• The headquarters of the National Turmeric Board is in Nizamabad, Telangana.
• Around 30 % of the turmeric exports from India are contributed by Telangana.

Under Which Ministry is the National Turmeric Board?

• The National Turmeric Board is under the Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 

Chairperson and Composition of National Turmeric Board 

The Chairperson of the Turmeric Board is appointed by the government of India. The first chairperson of the Turmeric Board is Palle Ganga Reddy.

Other Members of the Board 

• The Board will have members from the Union Ministry of AYUSH, the Departments of Pharmaceuticals, the Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and the Union Ministry of Commerce and  Industry. 
• Representative from the State Government representatives from three major turmeric-growing states (on a rotation basis), 
• Representatives of select national/state institutions involved in turmeric research, turmeric farmers and exporters, 
• Secretary, appointed by the Department of Commerce.

Function of the National Turmeric Board 

The main functions of the National Turmeric Board are as follows;

• The Board will promote research and development in turmeric to boost its yields and production.
• Boost export by promoting research and development in the development of new turmeric products and value addition, and work for smooth logistics and supply chain for marketing abroad. 
• Creating awareness of turmeric's essential and medical properties.
• Ensure quality and safety standards of turmeric production and exports to maintain India’s position in the world market as an exporter of high-quality turmeric and turmeric products.
• Focus on turmeric farmer’s capacity building and skill development.

Turmeric Production and India 

India is the world’s largest producer, exporter, and consumer of turmeric. 

Export 

• Total export of Turmeric from India in 2023-24 was 1.62 lakh tonnes worth Rs 1875.86 crores or $ 226.5 million.
• The top buyers of Indian turmeric in 2023-24 were Bangladesh followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, and the United States of America.
• The government of India has set a target of export of Rs 8000 crore of turmeric by 2030.

Production of Turmeric 

• According to the Spice Board of India, the total estimated production of turmeric in 2023-24 is 1074526 tonnes.
• The top turmeric-producing states in India were; Maharashtra (325643 tonnes), followed by Telangana ( 117049 tonnes), Karnataka ( 129399 tonnes), Tamil Nadu ( 114141 tonnes), and Tamil Nadu ( 88649 tonnes).
•  Around 30 varieties of turmeric are grown in 20 states of India.