Avocado demand in India has surged over the past 15 years, transforming a fruit once dismissed as "dog fruit" into a sought-after crop for farmers, chefs and consumers. Growers such as Sunil Bopaiah of Cottanad Plantations in Kerala say interest took off around 2011 after Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty promoted avocado for skincare, prompting prices to double and keep climbing; producers have since adopted new cultivation techniques, learning from South African and Israeli expertise, to meet rising demand.

India currently imports around 15,000 tonnes of avocados annually against domestic production of only 8,000–9,000 tonnes, leaving a substantial supply gap that industry figures see as an opportunity for farmers, particularly those diversifying away from climate-hit crops like coffee and pepper. While restaurants and chefs, such as Hussain Shahzad of Mumbai's Hunger Inc. Hospitality, still favour imported varieties like Hass for their consistency, entrepreneurs including Harshit Godha of the Indo-Israel Avocado Nursery are working to build up local commercial orchards, having supplied around 18,000 international-variety saplings to Indian farmers since 2021.