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World Food India 2023: Food sector has reached new heights, says Modi
Addressing the three-day event, the PM noted how the food processing industry has emerged as the “sunrise sector” in India.
India’s food diversity is a dividend for investors across the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while inaugurating the second edition of the “World Food India 2023” at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
Addressing the three-day event, the PM noted how the food processing industry has emerged as the “sunrise sector” in India and has attracted FDI investments of about ₹50,000 crore over the past nine years. He further urged industry stakeholders to focus on finding solutions to reduce post-harvest losses and promote sustainable packaging methods.
“In the last nine years, the sector has attracted FDI of ₹50,000 crore. This happened because of the government’s pro-industry and pro-farmer policies,” Modi said.
“The investor-friendly policies by the government are taking the food sector to new heights. India’s food processing capacity has witnessed significant growth in the last nine years leading to 150% growth in exports of processed food. The capacity of the food processing sector, too, has increased from a meagre 12 lakh tonne to over 200 lakh tonne. Today, India stands at the seventh position with an overall export value of more than 50,000 million USD in agricultural produce,” he added
He noted that investments of about ₹50,000 crore have been made to set up post-crop harvest related infrastructure projects under a central scheme (Agri Infra Fund) and highlighted some of the measures taken by the central government towards development of the food processing sector such as production linked incentive (PLI) scheme and mega food parks.
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Highlighting the role of women in bolstering the sector, Modi said: “Indian women have the natural ability to lead the food processing industry.”
He also spoke on the benefits of consumption of millets, and pitched for diversification of the food basket in the public distribution system. “Just as Yoga became a global phenomenon, millets are ready to make their mark worldwide. On India’s initiative, an awareness campaign regarding millets has started in the world.”
The United Nations has recognised 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
During the event, the PM disbursed seed capital assistance to over one lakh (100,000) self help groups (SHGs) and inaugurated a “food street”.
The “World Food India 2023”, which was also attended by Union consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister Piyush Goyal, aims to showcase India as the “food basket of the world” and celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The first edition of the event was held in 2017, but could not be organised till this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than 80 countries, 200 speakers and 12 partner ministries, departments and commodity boards are scheduled to take part in the three-day event, which will conclude on November 5 in presence of President Droupadi Murmu.
