India's Spice Trade Surge: How Indian Spice and Tea Exporters Can Capture Russia's Fast-Growing Import Category 
Published on: Jul 20, 2026
Reading Time: 5 min
14-17 September 2027
Moscow, Crocus Expo, Pavillion 3
Published on: Jul 20, 2026
Reading Time: 5 min
Black pepper, small cardamom, ginger and spice oleoresins are moving closer to the centre of India’s food trade with Russia, alongside Assam and other crush-tear-curl teas. The shift reflects broader commercial links, work on the International North–South Transport Corridor and new payment routes for bilateral trade. Recent Indian spice export trends show the scale of that change: pepper shipments to Russia rose from 719 tonnes in 2023-24 to 1,092 tonnes in 2024-25, then reached 1,414 tonnes in 2025-26.
Black pepper provides the clearest volume story. Spices Board of India data records a near doubling of shipments to Russia between 2023-24 and 2025-26, while export value rose from US$0.58 million to US$1.73 million. These figures point to demand across whole spices, processing inputs and higher-value extracts rather than one isolated product category.
Spice oils and oleoresins add another commercial layer. Shipments to Russia reached US$12.87 million in 2025-26, making extracts considerably more valuable than raw pepper alone. Tea remains a larger and more established trade route into the region.
Tea Board of India data places the Commonwealth of Independent States tea market at 196 million kilograms in 2024, with Russia and Kazakhstan identified as priority destinations. Demand still favours strong black tea, while speciality and origin-led lines may offer more room for margin.
The India–Russia spice trade is growing within a wider reset in bilateral commerce. India’s Department of Commerce reported trade with Commonwealth of Independent States countries at US$68.3 billion in 2023–24, up 29.6% year on year. At the July 2024 bilateral summit, both governments identified the International North–South Transport Corridor, payment systems, insurance and logistics bottlenecks as areas for practical action.
For exporters, the corridor matters because it can connect Indian ports with Russia through Iran and the Caspian network. It is not yet a friction-free alternative to established sea routes, so routing decisions still require freight partners with sanctions-screening and trans-shipment expertise. Rupee settlement routes provide another option, although contract currency, bank acceptance and repatriation terms must be agreed before dispatch. The commercial opening is real, but the operating model must be built shipment by shipment.
Russian buyers source whole and ground black pepper, dehydrated ginger, cardamom, blended seasonings, oleoresins and black tea suited to mainstream brewing preferences. Food manufacturers tend to buy larger packs with strict microbiological controls and consistent volatile-oil specifications.
Distributors and retail chains often need Russian-language consumer packs, stable shelf life, barcodes and product files prepared for local registration. Buyers across food and drink categories also assess whether a supplier can maintain grade, colour and flavour across repeat orders. Retail-ready suppliers should quote in case, pallet and container terms because Russian partners often compare warehouse economics as closely as the ex-works price.
Indian exporters need to prepare product specifications, certificates of analysis, pesticide and contaminant results, traceability records, Russian-compliant label copy, samples from the proposed production batch and clear minimum order quantities. This package shortens technical review and gives importers enough evidence to compare landed cost, shelf life and supply reliability.
Food entering Russia and the wider Eurasian Economic Union must comply with applicable food safety and labelling rules. These include Technical Regulation TR CU 021/2011 on food safety and TR CU 022/2011 on food labelling. Depending on the product, exporters may also face requirements covering additives, flavourings and declarations of conformity. Labels commonly need the product name, ingredients, net quantity, production date, shelf life, storage conditions, manufacturer details and Eurasian Conformity marking in Russian.
The hardest problems are often operational rather than regulatory. Banking routes can change, insurance capacity varies, and transit times may shift sharply by port or border crossing. Exporters are managing this by agreeing payment banks before signing contracts, splitting risk across smaller initial orders, using local importers as the declarant, and building additional shelf-life tolerance into specifications. A dependable customs broker and importer can reduce rework, while pre-shipment document checks protect listing timelines.
WorldFood Moscow gives Indian spice, tea and ingredient suppliers direct access to importers, distributors, retailers and food manufacturers across 16 food and beverage sectors.
Companies assessing the spice export market across Russia and Eurasia can submit an exhibitor enquiry to test buyer interest, compare routes to market and begin distribution discussions with commercially relevant contacts.
