How Fletcher International Exports Scaled Agri-Food Exports from Australia to India
Story of Cultural Adaptation, Localisation, and Sustainable Agri-Export Excellence
"We recognised that Indian meat consumption is deeply cultural and community driven. To address this, we established Fletcher India, an entity designed to integrate seamlessly with local supply chains."
Context & Opportunity
Fletcher International Exports Pty Ltd is an Australian Food and Beverage Manufacturing founded in 1967 by Roger Fletcher that has been responsible for supplying high-quality Australian sheep meat to the Indian market since 2012. It operates two processing facilities, one in Dubbo, NSW, and another near Albany, WA and has more than 47 years of international trade experience. These two plants have a combined processing capacity of more than 90,000 sheep and lambs per week, which equates to over 4.5 million head per year.[1] It is a First Nations-owned enterprise committed to sustainability, cultural respect, and inclusive economic development.
Fletcher International Exports has evolved into one of Australia’s most vertically integrated agribusinesses. Beyond its large-scale meat processing facilities, the company owns extensive grazing and cropping properties, securing supply resilience and sustainability. Its private rail operations, with dedicated locomotives and kilometres of wagons, transport over one million tonnes of commodities annually to and from Port Botany, reducing reliance on external logistics and lowering cost-to-serve. The business has diversified into global exports of grain, pulses cotton and wool alongside sheep meat, reinforcing its position as a multi-commodity exporter.
Fletcher has embedded India as a core pillar of its global growth strategy, positioning itself as a provider of affordable, high-quality protein through a culturally attuned, value-driven brand.
The Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), which removed tariffs on more than 85% of Australian exports to India, served as a catalyst. It expanded market access, strengthened bilateral trade flows, and enabled Fletcher to enter India on competitive terms.
Recognising that Indian meat consumption is deeply cultural and community-driven, with strong preferences for fresh, locally sourced products, Fletcher adapted its model to local realities. The company established Fletcher India, integrating into domestic supply chains and partnering with experienced Indian distributors. By leveraging cold storage facilities near Nhava Sheva Port in Maharashtra, Fletcher created a distribution platform capable of servicing both northern and southern markets. This localisation enabled just-in-time delivery of premium-quality products in smaller, manageable volumes, aligning its global export expertise with India’s consumption patterns.
Strategy & Execution
Deliberate & Sequenced Entry
Fletcher’s entry into India was deliberate and sequenced, initially working through indirect distribution channels to build knowledge and local relationships. The signing of the AI-ECTA served as a turning point, eliminating tariffs on Australian sheep meat (from 30% to 0%) and enabling competitive pricing in a sensitive market. With cold storage facilities near Nhava Sheva Port, a location chosen for its strategic logistics advantage, the company is now well-positioned to service both northern and southern markets efficiently. Tailored pricing, culturally sensitive branding, and just-in-time delivery mechanisms cater directly to local buying behaviour, where many customers prefer smaller, manageable volumes.
Fletcher’s innovation lies in embedding adaptability across its value chain through real-time market intelligence from deep customer engagement. It dynamically adjusts products, logistics, and marketing while embracing ESG principles, promoting frozen meat’s environmental and quality benefits in a fresh-meat market. Digital tracking, logistics automation, and cold chain optimisation boost sustainability and consistency. A strong feedback loop between frontline teams and planners refines product-market fit, reinforcing Fletcher’s reputation as a responsive, reliable supplier.
Importantly, early alignment with the right distribution partners helped Fletcher gather on-the-ground insights, navigate market dynamics, and maintain trust.
Though it now operates its own facilities in India, all original partnerships remain in place and continue to be integral to its operational model. Internally, the company has applied its 47 years of export experience to build a flexible, cross-functional structure capable of responding to logistical constraints, global price shifts, and domestic supply changes.
Public–private collaboration helped Fletcher better understand regulatory frameworks, improve ease of doing business, and align with broader initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Strategic government engagement also enabled smoother customs processes and faster route-to-market.
A unique playbook emerged, one that combined global best practices with intimate market learning, emphasising long-term partnerships and value alignment over transactional scale. Rather than rushing expansion, Fletcher took a responsive and respectful approach to embedding itself within India’s diverse and complex protein market, ensuring sustainable growth and consumer trust.
"AI-ECTA has been transformative, enabling us to integrate India into our long-term business roadmap. The removal of tariffs has opened access to a broader customer base.
Impact & Results
Fletcher’s strategic entry into India has generated measurable value across multiple dimensions- for the company, the Indian market, and the broader Australia-India trade corridor. What began as a minor export destination has evolved into a core growth market, contributing significantly to revenue and market share. Increased demand for value-added products in India has stimulated production expansion in Australia, supporting job creation and upskilling in processing, export logistics, and compliance. Concurrently, Fletcher’s local operations in India have built commercial capacity, enabling new job roles in supply chain, warehousing, and customer engagement, offering over 50 direct and indirect employment opportunities to date.
Fletcher’s adaptive logistics and port flexibility, including Nhava Sheva, reduced cost-to-serve and lead times. Local cold storage integration boosted delivery efficiency and enabled 20% annual volume growth in India. Partnerships with Indian retail and hospitality increased product adoption and access to premium protein across price points. Seasonal and cultural demand cycles improve inventory precision and minimise food waste.
Fletcher leverages insights from India to inform global market entries, enhancing international agility and shifting from supply-led to demand-driven exports. This strengthens resilience and is tracked by qualitative KPIs like customer satisfaction, repeat business, and product diversity, alongside ESG improvements such as reduced food miles, better cold chain energy efficiency, and stronger community partnerships.
Fletcher’s approach has not only improved protein access but also contributed to setting a new benchmark for culturally adaptive trade in emerging markets.
"Our success in India is rooted in strong partnerships with local businesses. Long-term trust and shared goals were essential to this journey.
Lessons & Insights
Market Entry & Strategy
Transitioned from indirect distribution to a Fletcher India entity with local cold storage, ensuring competitive pricing post AI-ECTA and direct access to consumers.
Phased entry and sequencing of partnerships allowed Fletcher to build trust, gather insights, and adapt before scaling operations.
Core Takeaway
Strategic patience and staged entry protect brand integrity and deepen market fit.
Cultural Intelligence & Localisation
Adapted to community-driven consumption patterns by offering smaller, manageable volumes and educating consumers on frozen meat’s quality and sustainability benefits.
Leadership invested in understanding Indian culinary culture and integrated feedback loops to refine offerings.
Core Takeaway
Cultural intelligence is as critical as product quality in India’s protein market.
Customer Engagement & Distribution
Built trust through localised distribution, just-in-time delivery, and premium retail/hospitality partnerships.
Balanced affordability with quality positioning, leveraging zero-tariff access to expand reach across consumer
Core Takeaway
Direct engagement, tailored volumes, and service responsiveness drive adoption in a fragmented market.
Organisation & Capability Building
Created Fletcher India with cross-functional teams to manage logistics, compliance, and customer service.
Embedded operational flexibility through agile decision-making and real-time feedback loops.
Core Takeaway
Local presence with empowered teams ensures resilience in a complex regulatory and supply chain environment.
Government & Ecosystem Leverage
Benefited from AI-ECTA tariff elimination, Austrade and Invest India facilitation, and bilateral engagement for smoother customs processes.
Continued to face frictions around regulatory clarity and infrastructure gaps, requiring sustained advocacy.
Core Takeaway
Policy enablers create opportunity, but long-term success requires active navigation of India’s regulatory ecosystem.
Technology & Digital
Adopted logistics automation, digital tracking, and early e-commerce partnerships to align with India’s evolving consumption patterns.
Technology integration improved efficiency but required recalibration when readiness gaps emerged.
Core Takeaway
Digital adoption must be phased and matched to market maturity to deliver sustained impact.
Broader Lesson for Cross-Border Business
Fletcher’s journey highlights that humility, respect, and long-term partnerships are prerequisites for sustainable growth in India.
In emerging markets, localisation, trust-building, and operational adaptability are as important as competitive pricing.
Core Takeaway
In emerging markets, localisation, trust-building, and operational adaptability are as important as competitive pricing.
All information has been verified from primary company submissions, official filings, interview transcripts, and secondary materials cited in the References section.
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