Lee Hui Ying, MP from Nee Soon GRC, at the festival (Image: Indian High Commission in Singapore on Instagram)

The Indian mango was given the top prize at a cultural festival in Singapore this weekend. The artists were rewarded with fruit boxes to further the campaign to promote India’s export of mangoes abroad.Singers, dancers and musicians participating in the “Threads of Indian Tradition” festival held at the Nee Soon public housing estate in north-east Singapore were awarded mango boxes instead of traditional souvenirs or trophies.The initiative was organized by the Indian High Commission in Singapore and marked the second common publicity festival held this month. An earlier event held between May 1 and 3 in another housing estate on Singapore’s east coast attracted more than 6,000 visitors who sampled 10 varieties of Indian mangoes.“Our endeavor is to offer a diverse range of globally renowned Indian mangoes to our Singaporean friends,” Indian High Commissioner Shilpak Ambule was quoted as saying by PTI on Sunday.He said that the response to the events has been encouraging and more such festivals have been planned during the mango season. “We are not just showcasing Indian mangoes, but also giving our Singaporean friends a glimpse of incredible India, with the hope that it will bring them closer to India,” he said.According to organizer Sithara Doriyasamy, about 60 artists participated in the latest festival, which was attended by more than 650 residents of the Nee Soon neighborhood. Singapore MP Lee Hui Ying was also present in this program.Local musician Thanesh, who performed with a band at the festival, said it was a first for him to receive mangoes as a token of appreciation. He said, “I have performed in dozens of programs but this is the first time that I have been honored with a carton of my favorite fruit, mango.”Tanuja Mohindru, a long-time Singapore resident and community volunteer, said the unusual bounty has generated curiosity and demand for Indian mangoes even among non-Indians.India, the world’s largest mango producer, is stepping up efforts to promote exports of premium varieties like Alphonso and Saffron to foreign markets, including the UAE, the US and the UK. Common festivals, tasting sessions and buyer outreach programs have increasingly become part of that strategy.