Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Jackfruit King Meets PM Modi, Pitches Jackfruit Year, Processing Plant
A farmer in India who loves jackfruit got to meet the country's leader, Prime Minister Modi, at a big wedding party in Delhi.
His name is Mithilesh Desai, and people now call him the 'Jackfruit King.'
He brought lots of things made from jackfruit to show the prime minister, like flour, chips, and even a wallet and bag made from jackfruit skin.
Jackfruit is a big fruit that grows a lot in India, but a lot of it was being wasted.
Desai wanted the prime minister to help make jackfruit more popular and useful.
He asked for a special 'Jackfruit Year' in India and for a big factory to process jackfruit.
The leader of the country listened to him for about 12 or 13 minutes.
He said the government would look into Desai's ideas.
Desai also works with many farmers who used to earn very little for their fruit and now earn much more.
Every part of the jackfruit tree can be used, which is why Desai calls it a 'Kalpavriksha,' a tree that gives everything.
Mithilesh Desai, the Ratnagiri farmer dubbed the 'Jackfruit King,' met PM Narendra Modi at Revati Sule's wedding reception in Delhi, with Sharad Pawar arranging the introduction.
Desai showed Modi jackfruit flour, jackfruit seed flour, ripe jackfruit chips, and a vegan-leather passport wallet and duffel bag fitted with an NFC traceability chip.
He asked Modi to declare one year as India's Jackfruit Year and to set up a large processing facility for the Western zone; Modi responded positively and said the government would look into both.
India is the world's largest jackfruit producer, harvesting over a million tonnes a year, yet 85 to 90 per cent of the crop grows wild and much of it goes to waste.
Desai's farmer-producer company works with 1,100 farmers, and per-10-kg farmer earnings have reportedly risen from Rs 10-15 to about Rs 300 at their doorstep.
- Who
- Mithilesh Desai, a farmer from Jhapade village (reported as 'Zapad' in one account) in Lanja taluka, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, known as the 'Jackfruit King,' and Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Sharad Pawar arranged the introduction.
- What
- Desai presented jackfruit-based products — flour, seed flour, ripe chips and vegan-leather goods with an NFC traceability chip — and asked Modi to declare a Jackfruit Year and set up a large Western-zone processing facility.
- When
- This week, at Revati Sule's wedding reception held on Monday evening in New Delhi.
- Where
- At the Pawar family's 6, Janpath residence in New Delhi.
- Why
- To highlight jackfruit's economic potential — described as a two billion dollar opportunity — and to seek government support to reduce waste and raise farmer incomes.
- Jackfruit King
- Mithilesh Desai, farmer from Jhapade village, Lanja taluka, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra
- Meeting
- PM Narendra Modi at Revati Sule's wedding reception in New Delhi, arranged by Sharad Pawar
- Products shown
- Jackfruit flour, seed flour, ripe chips, and a vegan-leather wallet and duffel bag with NFC traceability chip
- Requests made
- Declare one year India's Jackfruit Year; set up a large processing facility for the Western zone
- India's jackfruit output
- World's largest producer, over one million tonnes a year; 85-90 per cent grows wild
- FPO scale
- 1,600 acres under cultivation, ~5,000 tonnes a year, 88 varieties, 1,100 farmers
- Farmer earnings
- Roughly tenfold rise, from Rs 10-15 to about Rs 300 per 10 kg at their doorstep
- Funding plans
- First round Rs 15-20 crore; second round Rs 50 crore+; Rs 1,000 crore revenue target over 5-10 years
