He painted a picture of an emerging giant, ready to consume fresh imported fruits but one not necessarily straightforward to access. "India is not an easy place to do business. It might take you a little bit of effort to get in and understand how to do things and who the partners are, but please persevere," Mr Sunderlal said.
According to goodfruitandvegetables.com.au, he put India's population at almost 1.3 billion people, within which there were about 300 million burgeoning middle class. India boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a fiscal growth rate of more than 7% in 2017.
Such figures sit as a lucrative invitation for industries with a premium product such as citrus. But for all the growth, Indians are slow to change and embrace new lifestyles, says Sunderlal. He said it was important to remember there were many different groups within India, including close to 150 different languages spoken.
With so much focus in the food sector on marketing towards millennials, India sits as a possible goldmine with about 65% of the population under 35.
India is a long way from embracing online fresh produce buying and even western style supermarkets. Less than 20% of food is sold through modern retail. "When 80% of imported fruit is not going through modern retail you do need to go beyond modern retail. That has to do with traditional wholesale markets, wet markets and cities outside the metros."
Gaining access into the 50 cities with more than 1 million citizens each is another important export step. "It's not easy to do, but it can be done," Sunderlal said.