Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus sp.) has its origin in Southern Mexico, Central America and South America. It was introduced during 1990 for its commercial cultivation in south Asian tropical countries. It is widely cultivated in South-East Asia, USA, Caribbean Islands, Australia throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world. It is a new introduction in India and the commercial cultivation is picking up.

In India, the cultivation of the fruit is fast picking up and farmers of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Mizoram and Nagaland have taken up its cultivation. In 2020, the total area under cultivation of Dragon Fruit in India is more than 3,000 ha. which is not able to meet the domestic demand, hence majority of the dragon fruits available in Indian market is imported from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.