Mangaluru to host ‘Kaju Centennial Summit 2025’ celebrating 100 years of cashew
The Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers’ Association (KCMA) will host the Kaju Centennial Summit 2025 in Mangaluru from November 14–16 to mark 100 years of India’s organised cashew processing industry.
The Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers’ Association (KCMA) will celebrate 100 years of cashew processing in Mangaluru by organising a three-day event – ‘Kaju Centennial Summit 2025’ – in Mangaluru from November 14-16.
Terming Mangaluru as the birthplace of India’s organised cashew industry, Kalbavi Prakash Rao, Convenor of ‘Kaju Centennial Summit 2025’, said the first organised cashew factory was established in Mangaluru in 1925 by the British company Peirce Leslie India Ltd.
Industry experts will deliberate on emerging global market trends and discuss marketing strategies to boost domestic consumption growth from 7-8 per cent to 12-13 per cent annually during the three-day summit, he said.
There will be a discussion on the shifting of demand from traditional trade to e-commerce and quick commerce platforms. The summit will also deliberate on the need to achieve 2.5 million tonnes of domestic raw cashew nut (RCN) production in India by 2030.
Addressing media persons in Mangaluru on Friday, AK Rao, President of KCMA, said Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Labour, Employment and MSME, will participate in the inaugural ceremony of the summit on November 14.
AV Ramana, Chairman of NMPA; Ashok Krishen, Chairman of International Nut Council, Spain; Vasudeva Barkur, Executive Director of ETG Group; and Rene Goudriaan, supply chain expert, will participate in the inaugural ceremony.
Saplings distribution
The valedictory ceremony of the summit will also mark 10 years of ‘Vriksha Raksha, Vishwa Raksha’, a joint project by Sri Pejawar Mutt, Udupi; SKDRDP (Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project), Dharmasthala; KCMA; and Sri Vijayalaxmi Foundation, Moodbidri.
AK Rao said this initiative has already distributed over 13 lakh cashew saplings to farmers over the last 9 years, and another 2 lakh saplings will be distributed this year. Farmers from Khanapur in Belagavi district of Karnataka to Kolar district have benefited from this initiative.
The survival rate of saplings thus planted is around 85 per cent, he said, adding that this initiative has helped add around 5,000 tonnes of RCN to Karnataka’s production.
The plan is to plant around 3 million saplings by 2030 under the ‘Vriksha Raksha, Vishwa Raksha’ initiative, adding 20,000 tonnes of RCN production to the state, he said.
Cashew history of Mangaluru
Tracing the history of the cashew industry in Mangaluru, Prakash Rao said cashews were exported in tea chests and wooden boxes in the early years to Kochi and then shipped abroad, often arriving spoiled.
In 1930, the first packaging innovation — carbon dioxide-infused tin containers — revolutionised cashew exports. This marked the beginning of Mangaluru’s remarkable journey as a pioneer in cashew technology, he said.
From five processing units in 1940, the industry has grown to over 250 units in and around Mangaluru. KCMA was born in 1955, he said.
Karnataka’s cashew processing capacity has expanded from 70,000 tonnes in the 1970-80 period to over 5 lakh tonnes today, accounting for 25 per cent of India’s total cashew processing, he said.
Highlighting the role of New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) in the growth of the cashew industry in the region, he said cashews imported through NMPA cater to Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Giving details about the cashew handling figures at NMPA, Prakash Rao said the port imported 3,45,133 tonnes of cashews during April-October 2025-26 as against 2,38,880 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year, registering a growth of 44 per cent.
Published on November 7, 2025
