Shillong: The Dilli Haat grounds transformed into a slice of Meghalaya over the weekend, as the third edition of the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival 2025 drew to a close today.
The three-day event, a vibrant showcase of the state’s most celebrated produce, concluded on a high note, with over 15.4 metric tonnes of sweet, organically-grown pineapples finding eager buyers, signalling a significant commercial triumph for the state’s farmers.
The festival was not merely a market for fruit; it was a potent platform for public-private partnerships, rural entrepreneurship, and cultural exchange, highlighting Meghalaya’s ambitious Vision@2032.
Inaugurated by a high-profile lineup including Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, the festival was lauded for its exceptional produce and strategic vision. Minister Chouhan, visibly impressed, declared the pineapples to be the “tastiest” he had ever sampled, extending his congratulations to the farmers and Chief Minister Sangma for their efforts.
He further committed the central government’s full support to strengthen the state’s “farm-to-shelf” ecosystem, praising Meghalaya’s innovative approach to forging partnerships with the private sector.
Chief Minister Sangma positioned the festival as a cornerstone of Meghalaya’s economic roadmap, Vision@2032, which aims to make the state a USD 16 billion economy. He proudly stated that Meghalaya’s pineapples, known for their organic sweetness, are “taking the global market by storm.” He emphasised that the festival was a tribute to the communities, their resilience, and their aspirations, going beyond a mere celebration of a fruit.
A major highlight of the event was the formalisation of new business partnerships with retail giants such as Reliance Fresh, Amazon Karigar, and Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters. The signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with these brands is set to provide a massive fillip to Meghalaya’s agri-logistics and retail reach. These agreements are expected to streamline procurement and ensure nationwide market access for the state’s agricultural products, directly benefitting thousands of rural households.
The festival also served as a stage for grassroots success stories. Reena Nongrum, an entrepreneur from Ri Bhoi district, shared her inspiring journey from a local tailor to a successful food processing unit owner. With support from the state’s Horticulture Department, her stall, laden with pineapple jams, candies, and ginger powder, was a crowd favourite, demonstrating how state initiatives are empowering small-scale producers to access markets in distant corners of India.
The spirit of Meghalaya resonated beyond the stalls, with a series of musical performances under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (CM-MGMP). Bands such as The LYNX and Elena and the Band captivated audiences at both Dilli Haat and India Gate. For the musicians, performing on such a prominent stage was a moment of immense pride, connecting their grassroots identity with a national audience and underscoring the festival’s role in promoting the state’s culture alongside its commerce.
Visitors from across the country were unanimous in their praise for the festival. Many lauded the quality of the pineapples and the warmth of the hospitality, with one visitor from Bengaluru calling them “the tastiest pineapples in the world.” The festival, in the words of another attendee, successfully “brought Meghalaya to the heart of Delhi,” creating a tangible connection between the hill state and the national capital.
The event also highlighted Meghalaya’s robust agri-logistics infrastructure, which has seen the development of 27 cold storages and 7 processing hubs over the past three years. The state’s agricultural exports, which have already reached markets in the EU, Gulf, and Southeast Asia, along with major Indian metros, are poised for further expansion with the new tie-ups with online retail giants. As the festival draws to a close, Meghalaya stands tall not just as a producer of fine pineapples but as a beacon of grassroots innovation, sustainable farming, and rural economic empowerment for the entire nation.
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