Table of Contents
Introduction
Chilli is an important vegetable and spice in India. It is an integral part of Indian cuisine. India is the world’s largest producer, consumer, and exporter of chillies. The total chilli production in India for the year 2023-24 is 2.59 megatonnes. In this blog, we will discuss in detail the Top 10 chilli producing states in India.
Andhra Pradesh is the top chilli-producing state in India. Guntur district in the state is particularly famous for chillies and is known as the “Chilli Capital of India.” Other top chilli-producing states include Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha.
There are over 100 commercial varieties of chilli grown in India. Before exploring the top 10 chilli producing states, let’s first learn about the different varieties of chilli cultivated in various parts of the country.
Popular Types of Chilli in India
India cultivates a wide variety of chillies, each with its own unique flavor and use in different dishes. From the cold Himalayan regions to the humid south, various chilli types are popular in different regions of the country, and some are enjoyed all across India.
Below are a few well-known types of chillies grown in the country:
1. Kashmiri Chilli
Kashmiri chilli is grown in Jammu, Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. This chilli is known for its vibrant red colour. It is less spicy and primarily used to add colour to dishes.
2. Bhut Jolokia (Also Known as Bhoot Jolokia, Ghost Pepper)
Bhut Jolokia is cultivated mainly in the northeastern region of India. This chilli type was certified as the world’s hottest chilli pepper in the Guinness World Records 2007.
3. Mathania Chilli
This chilli is mainly grown in Rajasthan. It is red in colour and relatively spicy, widely known for its use in Laal Maas, one of Rajasthan’s famous dishes.
4. Jwala Chilli
Jwala chilli is primarily grown in Gujarat. This chilli is green in colour but turns red when ripe. It is also known as Finger Hot Pepper.
5. Sankeshwari Chilli
Sankeshwari chilli is mainly grown in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur region. It is medium spicy.
6. Guntur Sannam Chilli
This chilli is predominantly grown in the Guntur district and other parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is popular worldwide for its spiciness and high pungency.
7. Byadagi Chilli
Byadagi chilli originates from Karnataka and is named after Byadagi town. It is medium spicy and is also used in spice mixes for its deep red colour.
8. Boriya Chilli
Boriya chilli is mainly grown in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. These chillies are round, berry-like in shape, and moderately spicy.
9. Kanthari Chilli
Kanthari chilli is primarily grown in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Bird’s Eye Chilli of Kerala and turns white when it matures.
10. Dhani Chilli
Dhani chilli is mainly grown in Manipur, Mizoram, and other northeastern parts of India. Also known as Bird’s Eye Chilli, this variety is renowned for its heat and spiciness.
If you’re inspired to cultivate any of these popular chilli varieties and are in search of high-quality chilli seeds, take a moment to explore Desikheti’s chilli seed collection. Desikheti offers a diverse selection of best quality chilli seeds, conveniently delivered to your doorstep.
Now, let’s learn about the top 10 chilli-producing states in India.
Top 10 Chilli Producing States in India
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
- Madhya Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Odisha
- Gujarat
- Tamil Nadu
- Assam
- Punjab
- Maharashtra
These top 10 states account for 96.8% of India’s total chilli production. Together, they produced 2.51 megatonnes of chilli in 2023-24. Below are the production details for each state, along with the area cultivated.
Let us now take a closer look at the top 10 chilli-producing states in India.
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh ranks 1st in chilli production in India, making it the top chilli-producing state. In 2023-24, the state produced 1,185.26 kilotonnes of chilli over a total cultivated area of 2,370.53 km². There is a decline of 17.84% in chilli production from the previous year’s production of 1,458.78 kilotonnes. Despite this decline, Andhra Pradesh still contributes 45.6% of India’s total chilli production, almost half of the country’s output.
The major chilli producing regions in Andhra Pradesh are Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna and Kurnool. Byadagi and Guntur Sannam are some of the major chilli types produced in Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana
Telangana is the second-largest chilli producer in India, producing 654.26 kilotonnes in 2023-24, with a total cultivated area of 1,475.47 km². In 2022-23, production was 573.2 kilotonnes, and there was an increase of 14.14% in 2023-24. Telangana contributes 25.19% of the country’s total chilli production this year.
The major chilli-producing regions of Telangana are Khammam, Gadwal, Suryapet, Warangal and Mahabubabad. The major chilli types produced in Telangana are Byadagi and Teja chilli.
Madhya Pradesh
In 2023-24, Madhya Pradesh produced 293.32 kilotonnes of chillies, accounting for 11.29% of India’s total production. Chilli cultivation in the state spans 1,128.26 km². The Khargone district cultivates chilli across more than 450 km² and is a key production hub.
Karnataka
Karnataka produced 180.99 kilotonnes of chillies in 2023-24 over 1,342.09 km², contributing 6.97% to India’s total production. The main chilli-producing regions are Bellary, Haveri, and Dharwad, with Byadagi being a prominent variety grown in the state.
Odisha
Odisha produced 89 kilotonnes of chillies in 2023-24 over an area of 743.48 km². This accounts for 3.42% of the country’s total chilli production. Ganjam and Sambalpur districts are the major chilli-producing regions in Odisha.
Gujarat
Gujarat ranks sixth in chilli production, with 27.27 kilotonnes produced in 2023-24 over an area of 140.59 km², a slight decrease from the 30.65 kilotonnes produced in 2022-23. Major chilli-producing regions include Kheda and Mehsana.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu ranks 7th in chilli production in India. In the year 2023-24, the state produced 26.47 kilotonnes of chilli. There is a slight difference of less than one kilotonne between the total chilli produced by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. However, Tamil Nadu has a total chilli cultivation area of 540.21 km², which is almost three times that of Gujarat. Therefore, chilli farming productivity in Gujarat is significantly higher than in Tamil Nadu.
Major chilli-growing regions in Tamil Nadu include Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram, although chilli is grown across most parts of the state.
Assam
Assam is in 8th position for chilli production in India and leads among the northeastern states. The state produced 20.52 kilotonnes of chilli in 2023-24, spread over a total cultivation area of 205.47 km². The main chilli-producing regions in Assam are Golaghat and Tezpur.
Punjab
Punjab ranks 9th in chilli production in India, with a total production of 18.52 kilotonnes in 2023-24. The total chilli cultivation area is 93.71 km². Ferozpur is the leading district in Punjab for chilli production. The Punjab government has announced the setup of a chilli cluster in Ferozpur district as part of its crop diversification program.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is the 10th largest chilli-producing state in India, producing 18.2 kilotonnes of chilli in 2023-24 over a total farming area of 56.74 km². There has been a slight decrease in both production and cultivated area compared to the previous year when Maharashtra produced 21.15 kilotonnes across 61.1 km². Major chilli-growing districts in Maharashtra include Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Nashik.
Chilli is also cultivated in a few other Indian states, such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, and West Bengal, though their contributions are relatively smaller.
Now, let’s look at the top 10 states in India based on the productivity (tonnes/ha) of chilli cultivation.
Top 10 States in India Based on Chilli Productivity
The list is prepared by dividing the total chilli production of the state by the total area of chilli cultivation in that state (Tonnes/ha).
State | Ranking |
Andhra Pradesh | 1 |
Telangana | 2 |
Maharashtra | 3 |
Madhya Pradesh | 4 |
Naga Land | 5 |
Punjab | 6 |
Gujarath | 7 |
Rajasthan | 8 |
West Bengal | 9 |
Karnataka | 10 |
Top Green Chilli Exporting Countries in the World
- India
- South Africa
- Vietnam
- China
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Mexico
- Turkey
- Iran
- Spain
Top Red Chilli Exporting Countries in the World
- India
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- China
- Brazil
- Spain
Fun Facts About Chilli
- India is the world’s largest producer, consumer, and exporter of chilli. However, chillies are not native to India.
- The Portuguese first introduced chillies to India around the 15th century. Interestingly, they came to India for the trade of black pepper (and other spices) used in the Indian subcontinent to add hot flavour to dishes, and in the process, they exported chilli to India.
- King chilli, also known as Bhoot Jolokia, Raja Mircha, or Ghost pepper, is a spicy chilli that is native to northeast India and is known for its extreme heat.
- The hottest part of the chilli is not the seeds but the white spongy layer inside the chilli called the placenta.
- Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh is called the “Land of Chillies” and the “Chilli Capital.”
- Kashmiri chilli is often used to add colour as it is very mild in spice.
- Aji charapita chillies are the most expensive chillies in the world.
- Siling labuyo is considered the world’s smallest hot pepper and measures just around 0.5 cm in length and 0.25 cm in width.
- Pepper X is the world’s hottest chilli pepper, developed by Ed Currie, an American chilli breeder.
- The Scoville scale measures the spiciness or pungency of chilli. It Measures the Capsaicin content in the chilli and assigns the chilli a number rating in Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).
Common FAQs Related to Top 10 Chilli Producing States
- In India, Which state is the largest producer of chillies?
- Andhra Pradesh.
- Which is the chilli capital of India?
- Guntur.
- What is India’s rank in chilli production?
- First, India is the leading chilli producer in the world.
- Which is Asia’s largest Mirchi yard? (Also called Mirchi Mandi or Mirchi Market)
- Guntur Mirchi Yard in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
- Which is the number one chilli market in India?
- Guntur Mirchi Yard in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
- Which state in India is famous for red chillies?
- Andhra Pradesh.
- Which country is the largest producer of chillies in the world?
- India is the Leading Chilli Producer in the year 2023-24.
- What is the area under chilli production in India?
- Chilli is cultivated in an area of 8,715.04 km² in India in 2023-24.
- Who is the largest exporter of chillies in the world?
- India.
- Who is the largest consumer of chillies in the world?
- India is the largest consumer of chillies in the world.
- What are the top 5 chilli-producing states in India?
- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha are India’s top 5 chilli-producing states in 2024.
- Which is the second-largest chilli market in India?
- Bediya Chilli Mandi in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.
- What are other names for chilli?
- Mirchi, Indian Hot Pepper, and Chili Pepper are other names for chilli.
- What is the hottest chilli in the world?
- Pepper X was recognized as the world’s hottest chilli pepper by Guinness World Records in 2023.
- How much chilli will be produced in India in 2024?
- 2.59 million tonnes of chilli are produced in India in the year 2023-24.
Good Information..Thank you