India is intensifying its district-focused approach to agricultural exports through the Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative, aiming to connect locally produced agricultural and processed food products with international markets. The strategy builds on the One District One Product (ODOP) framework while placing greater emphasis on export infrastructure, market access, logistics and exporter support.
Under the initiative, districts are being treated as individual export-planning units, with District Export Promotion Committees tasked with identifying products with overseas potential, addressing local bottlenecks and preparing District Export Action Plans. As of March 2026, draft plans had been prepared for 590 districts, with 249 formally adopted.
Agricultural products identified for export promotion include Jalgaon’s bananas and Bharit brinjal, Meghalaya’s Mandarin oranges, and rice, jowar and maize from Bastar, alongside other agro-processing and farm products. The government is also seeking to integrate farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), MSMEs and local businesses into export value chains.
From June 2026, the DEH programme moved to a more outcome-oriented, phased implementation covering districts across 27 States and Union Territories. The focus includes creating new exporters, raising export values and using existing central and state schemes to improve quality, certification, packaging, logistics and international market access.
The initiative is expected to broaden India’s agricultural export base beyond established production and port centres, giving rural districts a greater role in global trade while supporting farmer incomes, local employment and MSME growth.