Quick answer: Tandur Red Gram (Tandur Kandulu) is a GI-tagged variety of toor dal (pigeon pea) grown in the Tandur region of Vikarabad district, Telangana. On 28 October 2026 its first export consignment, 2.5 tonnes, was flagged off from Hyderabad to Australia with help from APEDA.
Why Tandur Red Gram is in the news
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, facilitated the first-ever overseas shipment of this pulse, according to UNI and Deccan Chronicle reports of 28 October 2026. Telangana’s Agriculture Secretary Surendra Mohan and APEDA Assistant General Manager R P Naidu flagged off the consignment in a hybrid event.
Hyderabad-based Durga Exports and Imports is sending the 2.5-tonne lot by sea under the brand name AMMAAS. The importer in Australia is Bharathma Pty Ltd.
Key facts about Tandur Red Gram
- What it is: a local variety of red gram (arhar/tur, Cajanus cajan), sold as toor dal.
- Growing area: rainfed tracts of four mandals: Tandur, Basheerabad, Peddemul and Yelal in Vikarabad district.
- Why it is special: deep black soils, deposits of attapulgite clay and plenty of limestone in the region give it its quality, as noted in the APEDA-linked reports.
- Protein: about 22 to 24 per cent, roughly three times that of cereals. It is valued for taste, quick cooking and good shelf life.
- GI status: the first agricultural product of Telangana to get a Geographical Indication.
- GI record: as per the GI Registry database, application No. 706 was filed on 24 September 2020 by Yalal Farmers Producer Company Limited; certificate No. 430 was issued on 6 December 2022 under Class 31 (agriculture).
GI basics every aspirant should know
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Law | Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 |
| In force from | 15 September 2003 |
| Registry | Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, under the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce) |
| Validity | 10 years, renewable for further periods of 10 years |
| First GI of India | Darjeeling Tea |
| International link | WTO’s TRIPS Agreement requires members to protect GIs |
A GI tag says that a product’s quality or reputation comes from its place of origin. It stops others outside that area from using the name, and usually helps farmers and artisans get a better price.
Well-known GI products by state
| State | GI product | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Telangana | Pochampally Ikat, Hyderabad Haleem, Tandur Red Gram | Handloom, food, agriculture |
| West Bengal | Darjeeling Tea | Agriculture |
| Karnataka | Mysore Silk | Textile |
| Tamil Nadu | Kanchipuram Silk | Textile |
| Maharashtra | Alphonso Mango | Agriculture |
| Uttar Pradesh | Banaras Brocades and Sarees | Handloom |
| Bihar | Madhubani Paintings, Mithila Makhana | Handicraft, agriculture |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Kashmir Saffron | Agriculture |
| Odisha | Kandhamal Haladi | Agriculture |
| Nagaland | Naga Mircha | Agriculture |
India’s pulses scenario
- India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, but output has not kept pace with demand, so the country still imports pulses.
- The Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses on 1 October 2025, with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore for 2025-26 to 2030-31.
- Targets for 2030-31: production of 350 lakh tonnes, area of 310 lakh hectares and yield of 1,130 kg per hectare.
- The Mission promises 100 per cent procurement of tur, urad and masoor at MSP for four years through NAFED and NCCF from registered farmers, under the Price Support Scheme of PM-AASHA.
- Other features: 88 lakh free seed kits and 1,000 processing units.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- GI product–state matching is a favourite of CDS and CAPF general knowledge papers.
- Questions on the GI Act year, the Chennai registry and the 10-year validity are standard static GK.
- Pulses are kharif and rabi crops of rainfed areas; red gram is a kharif pulse, a link NDA geography may test.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Tandur Red Gram is grown mainly in which state?
(a) Karnataka (b) Maharashtra (c) Telangana (d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (c) — it is grown in the Tandur region of Vikarabad district, Telangana.
Q2. The Geographical Indications Registry of India is located at:
(a) New Delhi (b) Mumbai (c) Kolkata (d) Chennai
Answer: (d) — the GI Registry functions from Chennai.
Q3. A GI registration in India is valid for:
(a) 5 years (b) 10 years (c) 15 years (d) 20 years
Answer: (b) — it is valid for 10 years and can be renewed.
Q4. Which agency facilitated the first export of Tandur Red Gram to Australia?
(a) NAFED (b) APEDA (c) FSSAI (d) MPEDA
Answer: (b) — APEDA under the Commerce Ministry.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tandur Red Gram?
It is a GI-tagged variety of toor dal (pigeon pea) grown in four mandals of the Tandur region in Vikarabad district, Telangana. It is known for its high protein, taste and cooking quality.
Why is Tandur Red Gram in the news?
Its first export consignment of 2.5 tonnes was flagged off from Hyderabad to Australia on 28 October 2026, facilitated by APEDA.
When did Tandur Red Gram get the GI tag?
The GI Registry issued its registration certificate on 6 December 2022. Telangana had no GI-tagged farm produce before it; it became the state’s first.
What gives Tandur Red Gram its special quality?
The deep black soils of the region, along with attapulgite clay and limestone deposits, are linked to its distinct quality.
Under which law are GI tags given in India?
GI tags are given under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in 2003.
Also read on NCA: National Cooperative Development Corporation | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | CAPF coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: Deccan Chronicle, UNI, GI Registry record No. 706, PMIndia: Pulses Mission. Facts as reported up to 1 November 2026.
Featured image background: Sarbjit Bahga / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
