Varanasi Sends First Biscuit Shipment to Oman as India–Oman CEPA Opens New Export Doors

India’s processed food export story has gained a fresh regional push with the first biscuit export shipment from Varanasi to Oman after the implementation of the India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The 40 metric tonne consignment, facilitated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, marks an important milestone for Eastern Uttar Pradesh’s value-added food sector.

The shipment has been undertaken by M/s Shree Tirupati Balajee Industries Pvt. Ltd., a Varanasi-based manufacturer-exporter. Its movement from Varanasi to the Inland Container Depot in Kanpur for customs clearance, followed by onward transport to Jawaharlal Nehru Port for shipment to Oman, reflects the growing integration of regional manufacturing centres with India’s export logistics network.

This development carries significance beyond the size of the consignment. Biscuits represent the kind of processed, shelf-stable and value-added food product that can help Indian manufacturers expand into overseas retail, wholesale and institutional markets. For a city like Varanasi, known globally for culture, spirituality, textiles and traditional enterprise, the shipment signals a new chapter in food-processing-led exports.

The timing is important. The India–Oman CEPA has created a more favourable trade environment for Indian exporters by improving market access and strengthening tariff competitiveness. Oman is a key Gulf partner for India, with strong trade, energy, investment and diaspora linkages. The CEPA gives Indian businesses a structured platform to deepen their presence in the Omani market, especially in sectors such as food and beverages, agricultural products, textiles, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and value-added manufacturing.

For Eastern Uttar Pradesh, the export has practical importance. The region has a large base of food processing units, agricultural raw material availability, skilled workers and expanding road-rail connectivity. When these strengths are linked with export promotion, logistics support and international market exposure, smaller regional enterprises can move from domestic production to global supply chains.

APEDA’s role has been central in making this transition possible. The authority has supported the exporter through promotion platforms such as AAHAR 2026 and Gulfood 2026, helping regional products gain visibility among international buyers. Such interventions are crucial because export growth depends on more than production capacity. It requires buyer access, packaging standards, documentation support, quality compliance, logistics coordination and market intelligence.

The Varanasi-to-Oman biscuit consignment also fits into India’s larger ambition to expand processed food exports. Processed foods offer better value realisation compared to raw commodity exports because they involve manufacturing, branding, packaging, quality control and supply chain management. This creates a wider economic impact through jobs in factories, packaging units, transport, warehousing, testing, cold-chain or dry-chain logistics, and export services.

India’s food processing sector has already become one of the country’s major growth areas. With rising demand for Indian food products in the Gulf, Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia, exporters from emerging hubs have an opportunity to scale beyond traditional commodity shipments. Products such as biscuits, cereal preparations, ready-to-eat foods, confectionery, snacks, processed fruits, juices, milled products and traditional food items can build stronger export baskets for regional economies.

Oman is a particularly relevant market because of its location, Indian diaspora, stable trade ties and gateway potential into the wider Gulf region. Indian food products already enjoy familiarity among consumers in the region, and the CEPA can make them more competitive through improved duty access and smoother trade facilitation.

APEDA has indicated that more shipments to Oman are planned in the coming months. This suggests that the first consignment is being treated as the beginning of a sustained export channel rather than a one-time dispatch. If regular shipments follow, Varanasi and surrounding districts can gain recognition as a processed food export hub.

The larger message is clear. India’s export growth is increasingly moving into Tier-2 and regional production centres. Varanasi’s biscuit shipment to Oman shows how local manufacturing, national export promotion and international trade agreements can work together. It is a small consignment with a larger strategic meaning: Indian regional enterprises are finding new routes to global markets, and processed food exports are becoming a strong pillar of India’s next trade expansion.

Source: PIB