India faces a challenge as nearly 40% of its agricultural produce succumbs to spoilage. "This points to a massive inefficiency in the way we store and move our perishable items," stated Biplob Barik, Co-founder & CEO of Citrus Freight. This issue underscores the necessity for enhanced cold chain shipping in the country's perishable exports industry.
Citrus Freight, based in Bengaluru, tackles this issue by providing a tech-enabled platform for SMEs to handle temperature-sensitive shipments. With $300,000 in bridge funding secured, their solution helps reduce spoilage and broadens market access by over 40% for small enterprises.
In 2024, India recorded $50 billion in agricultural exports, with over 60% relying on perishable goods. The average freight value of nearly $4,000 highlights a multi-billion-dollar logistics opportunity. As demand and traceability increase, this segment could grow tenfold in a decade. "Despite this scale, the lack of organised tech-first logistics players remains a concern. Citrus Freight is now building the digital infrastructure to lead this transformation," said Barik.
The company offers an AI-based booking engine for real-time pricing, route optimisation, and document automation, cutting booking times significantly. Their services are tailored for SMB exporters, expanding market reach by 30–40%, and include real-time temperature monitoring and customs procedures.
Citrus Freight's revenue rose from $1.02 million in FY24 to $1.86 million in FY25, targeting $5.4 million in FY26. Barik highlighted the absence of a comprehensive solution for FPOs and producers as a barrier to tapping into export markets.
For instance, logistics complexities often lead to missed export opportunities. Nikhil Nazirkar of Dhanashree Agro Exports LLP noted how Citrus Freight's services simplify operations, saying, "Before Citrus, I had to make a lot of calls and get a lot of approvals to book containers... But with Citrus, it's just one click, and you are good to go."
India's SME agri-exporters operate in a fragmented cold chain ecosystem, lacking access to reliable logistics and digital tools. Barik noted challenges such as incorrect freight rates and inconsistent customs processes that affect exporters.
India currently contributes only 2% to global exports. Citrus Freight aims to be the nation's first organised cross-border cold logistics platform, targeting 10,000-container shipments by 2030 and expanding to cover more regions in India.
The firm also plans to target international trade lanes in regions like Russia, Iran, and Europe, where there is demand for Indian produce.
Source: Economic Times