NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — India’s meat exports have surged over the past five years even as Muslim traders and transporters have faced violence, harassment, and restrictions linked to cow protection campaigns promoted by Hindu extremist groups aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Government data presented in parliament shows India’s meat exports rising from $3.22 billion to $4.16 billion over five years, highlighting a stark contrast between domestic hostility toward meat trade and growing international demand for Indian meat products.
The figures were disclosed in response to a parliamentary question raised by Communist Party of India (Marxist) lawmaker John Brittas, with junior commerce minister Jitin Prasada confirming that India’s meat exports have steadily increased in both value and volume.
According to government data, exports stood at 1.098 million metric tons valued at $3.22 billion in 2020-21, rising to 1.19 million metric tons worth $3.38 billion in 2021-22. Exports remained largely stable in 2022-23 at 1.191 million metric tons, though the value dipped slightly to $3.27 billion.
A sharp rise followed in 2023-24, when exports climbed to 1.313 million metric tons valued at $3.83 billion, marking the highest export volume during the period. In 2024-25, export earnings reached a record $4.16 billion, although quantities declined slightly to 1.274 million metric tons.
Government officials said the growth was driven primarily by buffalo meat exports, which accounted for 97% to 98% of India’s total meat export earnings during the five-year period. India officially bans exports of cow meat but permits buffalo meat exports, which form the backbone of the country’s meat export industry.
The rising exports come amid years of violence and intimidation targeting Muslim and Dalit meat traders, cattle transporters and slaughterhouse workers across several Indian states.
Human rights groups and media reports have documented multiple incidents in which individuals — often Muslims — were attacked, beaten or killed by self-styled cow protection groups over allegations of transporting or consuming beef. In several cases, meat shops have also been forcibly shut ahead of Hindu religious festivals.
State authorities in some regions have also imposed temporary bans on meat sales during religious observances, while local groups aligned with Hindu nationalist organizations have issued warnings to shut down meat businesses near temples or during festivals.
Analysts say this reflects a contradiction between political messaging around cow protection and the country’s export-driven meat industry, which continues to expand to meet global demand.
India is among the world’s largest exporters of buffalo meat, with major markets including Southeast Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa, making meat exports an important source of foreign exchange earnings.
The continued growth in exports despite domestic tensions highlights how economic priorities and political narratives around meat consumption are unfolding differently within India and abroad.