“A day should come when there is an Indian item on every dining table across the world,” said Chirag Paswan, the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries on Wednesday.
But food safety is an equally important component if the Indian food has to go global. Paswan explained, “Food safety is equally important as food taste. The FSSAI will be hosting a regulatory summit soon to ensure greater compliance”. He added that food testing labs have been established as mandated in the Union Budget 2024, whereas over a hundred new labs will be soon set up across the country.
Paswan emphasised that his ministry is actively working on initiatives to extend the shelf-life of perishable goods, thereby reducing wastage.
He was speaking during the inauguration of Indusfood 2025 in the national capital region. Organised by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), Indusfood is a food and beverage (F&B) industry trade fair aiming at bridging gaps by offering an international stage for global buyers to connect and explore new markets, and expand their reach.
The fair will gather around 1,800 exhibitors and over 180 international exhibitors participating from over 30 countries. The fair, spanning over 80,000 square metre of exhibition space, will host approximately twenty pavilions, hailing an enormous chunk of around 5,000 international buyers and over a hundred supermarket chains and e-retailers.
Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev who was also present during the inauguration described Indusfood as “Aahaar ka Mahakumbh”, pressing upon the large-scale event, expected to witness global representatives from across 130 countries, along with the presence of numerous chefs.
Popularising Indian food makes a lot of economic sense too. In the $4 trillion global food market, India currently holds a modest 2.4% share.
“India is already a global powerhouse holding seventh position in global food export, touching 50 billion USD in exports last year,” said the APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) Chairman Abhishek Dev. “This year we will be setting new records in terms of export growth,” he added.
The processed food sector in India shows immense potential, with plans to increase value-added exports by 40 per cent over the next three to four years. Similarly, in the $147 billion organic food market, where India currently holds a modest 2.5 per cent share, the aim is to quadruple its presence within five years.
TPCI Chairman Mohit Singla also announced India’s first Asian President Forum, taking place in collaboration with the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA). The forum “will feature around 35 international chefs and 100 Indian delegates”.
“This creates a dynamic environment for cross-cultural exchange, innovation, and partnerships that will provide lucrative opportunities for Indian exhibitors in the hospitality industry,” Singla said, referring to the upcoming event.
The eighth edition of the Indusfood F&B trade fair will be held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, UP. In addition to the Indusfood 2025 scheduled for January 8-10, TPCI will host the fourth edition of Indusfood Manufacturing, focusing on food processing, packaging, ingredients, and hospitality technology. An inaugural edition of Indusfood Agritech, pertaining to technologies in agricultural, fisheries, dairy, and poultry farming will also be launched. The latter two events will be organised at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
