The story
Krishnagiri's dry, warm climate suits mango orchards, especially the Totapuri variety used for pulp. From the 1990s processors built aseptic pulp plants that buy fruit from thousands of growers during a short summer season. The pulp goes to juice and beverage makers in India and abroad. Krishnagiri and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh are India's two main pulp clusters.
In numbers
India has two main mango pulp clusters — Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) and Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu) — with around 65 processing units between them.
Mango pulp — APEDA · 2026India exported 62,864.13 tonnes of mango pulp worth US$68.39 million in FY26 (DGCIS data).
Mango pulp — APEDA · 2026Krishnagiri's Totapuri crop could fall from nearly 5 lakh tonnes to about 2 lakh tonnes in a weather-hit season.
Krishnagiri's mango economy beaten to pulp — DT Next
Ways in for a newcomer
- Aseptic pulp and concentrate processing
- Mango ripening chambers and cold storage
- Value-added products: mango bars, jam, aam papad, juice
- Fruit aggregation and grading for processors
Problems the cluster faces
- Weather damage cuts the short mango season
- Price disputes between growers and processors
- Export demand swings
- High working-capital needs during harvest
Businesses to start here
Mango Pulp Processing →Aam Papad (Mango Jelly) →Multi-Fruit Juice and Squash Unit →Mango Kernel Oil (Mango Butter) →Banana Ripening Chamber →Fruit Bars →