Pratapgarh Amla in Mann Ki Baat: What Was Said and Why
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Pratapgarh Amla in Mann Ki Baat: What Was Said and Why
On 27 September 2026, the 138th episode of Mann Ki Baat turned to a subject very close to home for us: the amla of Pratapgarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about how a fruit that families in this district have grown for generations has become a source of livelihood for farmers and for women working in self-help groups, and how the One District One Product scheme has helped local amla businesses grow.
For anyone in Pratapgarh, it was a proud moment. For anyone elsewhere wondering why one district in Uttar Pradesh is so closely tied to one fruit, here is what was said, and the story behind it.
What was said about Pratapgarh amla
The segment opened with something most Indian households will recognise:
"Amla, the Indian gooseberry is very familiar to all of us. Pickles and preserves i.e. murabba made from it are used in most households. Many people like Amla juice and Chyawanprash becomes an essential part of our daily routine during winter."
It then turned to Pratapgarh specifically:
"The bond between Pratapgarh and Amla is very old; farmers here have been growing it for generations. Amla has given Pratapgarh a strong identity, and now, this long-standing identity is bringing new opportunities for local farmers and women."
Three points from the segment stand out.
Around 100 processing units. The Prime Minister noted that "around 100 units related to Amla processing are operational in Pratapgarh, with women connected with self-help groups playing a significant role."
Two self-help groups by name. He mentioned the Savitri Phule Self-Help Group of Devgarh Kamasi village, whose members make amla candy, preserves and juice, and the Vindhyavasini Self-Help Group, whose members make amla pickle and digestive powder. Both groups gained access to processing machinery, loans and local trade fairs, and saw their incomes rise.
Reaching beyond local markets. The segment closed on a wider ambition: "Our endeavour should be to ensure that the identity of our villages and small towns is not confined merely to local markets; these products should reach other parts of the country and even global markets."
The segment was also shared the same day on the Prime Minister's official Instagram account, where it has drawn well over three lakh likes. You can read the full official transcript on the Prime Minister's Office website.
Official transcript of Mann Ki Baat, episode 138
Why Pratapgarh, of all places?
Amla grows across India, so it is fair to ask why this one district has become so closely linked to it.
The short answer is scale and history. Pratapgarh has roughly 13,000 hectares under amla cultivation, more than any other district in the country, and records of commercial cultivation here go back to 1881–82.
The longer answer involves the fruit itself. Three varieties dominate Pratapgarh's orchards:
| Variety | What sets it apart |
|---|---|
| Chakaiya | The workhorse. Small fruit but heavy bearing and resistant to disease. Its vitamin C has been measured at 789 mg per 100 g. |
| Banarasi | The original. Large fruit, first selected from wild trees under the patronage of the Maharaja of Varanasi. |
| Hathijhool (Francis) | Named for its drooping branches. Large fruit and the richest in iron of the three. |
Chakaiya, the district's main commercial variety, actually descends from a Banarasi seedling. Over more than a century, Pratapgarh's growers built up the know-how in grafting, budding and orchard care that turned a native fruit into a regional industry.
The full story of Pratapgarh amla and its GI tag
Pratapgarh Aonla is a registered Geographical Indication
Pratapgarh's amla is legally recognised as a Geographical Indication under the name Pratapgarh Aonla.
A GI tag protects the name of a product that comes from a specific place and has qualities tied to that place. In the case of Pratapgarh Aonla, the registered area covers Pratapgarh and the neighbouring districts of Rae Bareli, Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Varanasi.
The Pratapgarh Aonla GI is held by Pushpanjali Gramodyog Sewa Samiti, which is our organisation. We are a Pratapgarh amla processor ourselves, and documenting the district's varieties, growing practices and history for the GI is work we are proud to have done for the region.
What ODOP has changed
Amla processing is Pratapgarh's designated product under Uttar Pradesh's One District One Product scheme.
The problem ODOP set out to solve was never a shortage of fruit. Pratapgarh has always grown plenty. The real difficulty was that amla is harvested over a short window, roughly October to February, and fresh amla is intensely sour, so it is hard to sell fresh in large volumes.
Processing changes that. Turned into murabba, candy, juice, pickle or churan, a winter harvest becomes something families can buy and enjoy all year, and something that can travel well beyond the district. ODOP support has brought machinery, credit and access to trade fairs to local processors, which is exactly what the self-help groups mentioned in Mann Ki Baat described.
Our own story runs along the same lines. Pushpanjali was founded in Pratapgarh in 1990 by Chandra Prakash Shukla, who chose to build a business around amla after graduating rather than take a salaried job, on the belief that a local crop could create local livelihoods. Amla was abundant in Pratapgarh, but organised processing and access to wider markets were limited, and that was the gap he set out to close. Today, most of the people who work at our unit are women from the villages around Pratapgarh.
In February 2026, YourStory profiled that work as an ODOP story. The unit began with amla candy, later added jaggery-based versions, and refined its flavours and packaging through feedback gathered at exhibitions and trade fairs. The article also described how fruit at our unit is sorted by size into different products: the largest amla for murabba, mid-sized fruit for candy, and smaller fruit for juice and powder.
YourStory: Inside Pratapgarh's Amla Economy
The products Pratapgarh makes from amla
The products named in the segment, candy, preserves, juice, pickle and digestive powder, are the backbone of Pratapgarh's amla trade. Each one exists to solve the same problem: making a sour, seasonal fruit enjoyable and available all year.
- Murabba keeps the fruit whole in syrup, using the biggest and best-shaped amla.
- Candy is cut, sweetened and dried, making it easy to carry and snack on.
- Juice is the least processed form and keeps the most of the fruit's vitamin C.
- Pickle is the savoury option, made with spices and oil rather than sugar.
If you want to understand how these forms differ from each other, including how much of the fruit's goodness survives in each, our complete guide covers it in detail.
Our complete guide to amla Explore Pushpanjali's amla range
Buying from Pratapgarh this festive season
With Diwali on 8 November and Akshaya Navami, also known as Amla Navami, falling on 18 November, this is the season when amla traditionally comes into Indian homes.
Amla Navami is a day when families worship the amla tree, share a meal beneath it, and give to others. It makes amla a natural choice for festive gifting, and a box of Pratapgarh amla products keeps well, travels well and needs no refrigeration.
If you would like to send something from Pratapgarh this year, our gift boxes bring several of the district's amla products together in one place.
Amla Delight Box & Achaar Delight Box
Frequently asked questions
When was Pratapgarh amla mentioned in Mann Ki Baat?
In the 138th episode, broadcast on 27 September 2026. The segment covered Pratapgarh's amla industry, the role of ODOP, around 100 amla processing units in the district, and two women's self-help groups making amla products.
What was said about Pratapgarh amla in Mann Ki Baat?
The Prime Minister said the bond between Pratapgarh and amla is very old, that farmers have grown it for generations, and that around 100 amla processing units now operate in the district with women's self-help groups playing a significant role. He named the Savitri Phule and Vindhyavasini self-help groups. The full transcript is on pmindia.gov.in.
Why is Pratapgarh famous for amla?
Pratapgarh has around 13,000 hectares under amla cultivation, the largest of any district in India, with commercial cultivation recorded since 1881–82. Its amla is a registered Geographical Indication, Pratapgarh Aonla, and amla processing is the district's ODOP product.
Does Pratapgarh amla have a GI tag?
Yes. Pratapgarh Aonla is a registered Geographical Indication covering Pratapgarh and its neighbouring districts. The GI is held by Pushpanjali Gramodyog Sewa Samiti.
What is ODOP in Pratapgarh?
One District One Product is a scheme that picks one signature product for each district and supports its producers with machinery, credit, training and market access. In Pratapgarh, the chosen product is amla processing.
Which amla products come from Pratapgarh?
Murabba, candy, juice, pickle, churan, ladoo and barfi are among the most common. Processors sort the fruit by size so that each grade goes into the product it suits best.
A proud moment for the district
For the farmers, the self-help groups and the processors of Pratapgarh, hearing the district's amla discussed on a national platform was a recognition of generations of work.
For us, it is also a reminder of what that work is for. Pratapgarh's amla deserves to be known well beyond Pratapgarh, and the best way we know to do that is to keep making it carefully, and to keep telling its story accurately.
