New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- Apricots, once Ladakh's seasonal staple, are stepping onto the global stage.

This summer, for the first time, the region's primary cash crop was shipped to Gulf nations, including Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia-a long-held dream come true for growers like 29-year-old Zakir Zaidi.

"This year, that dream shipped out literally," the orchardist and trader with a 65-kanal apricot orchard lying in the shadow of Kargil's ochre mountains told Mint. "Watching our fruit reach Gulf markets has brought a sense of pride and possibility not just to my family but to growers across the region."

The milestone marks not only a turning point for Ladakh's economy but also a symbolic moment for India's cold desert, long constrained b...