Indian Salt Increasing Presence in the International Market

As the most important flavor maker worldwide, salt is present in almost every household’s cupboards. Nowadays many people also prefer to have different types of salt at home, such as Table salt or Sea salt. And with this trend, V.A.S. Palappa Nadar Sons (VASP Salt), a salt producer from the South of India, has seen the overall demand for salt rise over the last few years.

Salt Production in India

As the third-largest salt producing country, India produces around 17 million tons annually. A large part of this comes from the South of India, near the Bay of Bengal. VASP Salt is located in the Tamil Nadu province, in the city of Tuticorin (also known as Thoothukudi), in the Southernmost part of India. The company owns major salt pans around the city, producing around 1.2 million tons a year. Located in the Bay of Bengal, Tuticorin enjoys a temperate climate as well as fertile soil, making the region ideal for salt production. Salt is produced from February and September, creating enough stock to generate a steady supply year-round.

Sea salt is produced in large salt pans. After the sea salt is harvested from the pans, it is washed in fully saturated brine, to ensure the purity of the salt. VASP Salt produces salt with a minimum purity level of 96%. The company washes the salt three times, producing triple refined salt, to ensure minimum purity of 98.5 %. After the salt is properly washed, silica is added as an anticoagulant and iodine is added to food-grade salt. The company produces around 30K metric tons of crude crystal salt per year.

Trends Within the Indian Salt Market

While COVID-19 has made it difficult for farmers to produce during the peak season from March to April, manufacturers have been fairly able to keep their operations running, anticipating sufficient quantity for the off-season.

The amount of salt that can be harvested from the salt pans is strongly dependent on weather conditions. Insufficient sunshine or excessive rain negatively affects production quantity. Indian salt exporters have had an opportunity to increase their salt exports in the past when Thailand was hit by a cyclone and heavy rainfall in 2017, filling in for the gap caused by the shortage. Exports subsequently increased in 2018 and 2019, up to 12.8 million tons (December 2018 data).

Thai salt production has since recovered, but Indian production and exports are expected to keep growing strong, explains VASP Salt. The high salinity of Indian salt means that only small quantities are required for flavoring, making the product largely popular in the international market.