Instamart expands Northeast produce access with Meghalaya pineapples

MUMBAI: The Northeast is getting a faster route to the fruit bowl. Instamart is expanding access to distinctive produce from the region, starting with Meghalaya’s premium pineapples, which are now available to customers in Bengaluru.

The quick commerce platform is working with sellers on its marketplace to connect Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in the Northeast with new consumer markets, potentially giving regional growers an alternative to relying largely on local demand and wholesale markets.

The first move comes through the Jirang Organic Agro Farmer Producer Company, with pineapples being sourced from Meghalaya and air-freighted to Bengaluru. Until now, the growers have largely depended on demand within the Northeast and wholesale markets in Delhi.

The initiative was recently highlighted by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who described the effort as a step towards strengthening market linkages for the state’s farmers and taking Meghalaya’s agricultural identity to a wider audience.

Gautam Swaroop, Chief Business Officer, Instamart, said the Northeast has a wide range of distinctive fruits and vegetables, but much of the produce has traditionally remained limited to regional markets or a handful of cities.

“Meghalaya’s pineapples are the first step” in building a wider assortment of Northeast produce, Swaroop said, with the platform looking to create new market opportunities for farmers and FPOs through its sellers.

For Jirang Organic Agro Farmer Producer Company, the partnership provides farmers in a rural and remote part of Meghalaya access to premium markets beyond the state.

The pineapple launch is being positioned as the start of a broader sourcing programme. Over the next 12 to 24 months, third-party sellers on Instamart plan to work with more FPOs, farmer collectives and regional agencies to expand Northeast sourcing across India.

Among the products being evaluated are Meghalaya’s Khasi Mandarin, Assam’s Karbi Anglong Ginger and Tezpur Litchi, and Manipur’s Kachai Lemon. Sellers are also exploring kiwi and garlic from the region as they build out the assortment.

The expansion will plug into Instamart sellers’ existing fresh-produce sourcing network, which already works with more than 430 FPOs and over 10,000 farmers across the country.

For consumers, that could mean more regional produce turning up far from where it is grown. For farmers, the bigger opportunity is a new route to market, one where a Meghalaya pineapple no longer has to stay a Meghalaya secret.