Female Entrepreneur Leads First Air Shipment of Karnataka Mangoes to Maldives

A historic first for Karnataka’s mango industry was achieved when a cargo of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes took off for the Maldives under the leadership of a woman exporter. Ashwini E, director of Ahlaya Devi Ventures, coordinated the entire export process, from sourcing the fruit to securing the air freight contract.

The shipment, weighing one metric ton, originated from farms linked to Prakritimaya Farmers Producer Company Ltd in the Kolara district. APEDA provided the necessary export clearances and facilitated the logistics required for air transport.

Minister Piyush Goyal publicly congratulated the team on the social platform X, noting that the achievement showcases the rising role of women in India’s agricultural export sphere. He added that such success stories inspire more farmer producer organisations and agripreneurs to venture into high‑value markets.

APEDA chairman Abhishek Dev, an IAS officer, praised the collaborative spirit of the exporters, the farmer producer company, and the participating growers. He highlighted that initiatives like this improve market penetration for Indian mangoes and contribute to sustained income growth for the farming community.