Key Points

The event, inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Patrushev, Union Ministers Chirag Paswan and Prataprao Jadhav, and Minister of State for Food Processing and Railways Ravneet Singh, brought together global leaders, policymakers, industry captains, and innovators to deliberate on the future of food and agriculture.

According to a release from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in his inaugural address, the Prime Minister emphasized India's role as a reliable global supplier, highlighting its agricultural diversity, rising middle-class demand, and government initiatives such as 100% FDI, the Production Linked Incentive Scheme, and Mega Food Parks. On this occasion, the Prime Minister also released credit-linked subsidies to 26,000 beneficiaries for micro projects worth Rs 2,518 crore under the PMFME scheme, reflecting the government's commitment to empowering grassroots entrepreneurs.

Over the course of the summit, World Food India 2025 facilitated the signing of Memorandums of Understanding worth more than Rs 1,02,000 crore, representing one of the largest-ever investment commitments in the Indian food processing sector. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries also enabled collaborations with leading academic and research institutions including NIFTEM-T and NIFTEM-K, supporting technology transfer and partnerships in food fortification, nutraceuticals, and start-up incubation.

The CEO Roundtable, co-chaired by Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Chirag Paswan, drew participation from more than 100 CEOs representing leading Indian and multinational companies. Discussions focused on sustainable investments, biodegradable packaging, waste valorization, the potential of the blue economy, and reforms in logistics and transport to reduce costs and enhance competitiveness, the release stated.

A series of government-to-government meetings reinforced India's international partnerships, with delegations from Russia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Maldives, Portugal, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Eswatini, Cote d'Ivoire, and Kuwait engaging with Indian counterparts to explore avenues for deeper cooperation in agriculture and food processing. These dialogues further cemented India's role as a trusted partner in global agri-food value chains.

The technical agenda of World Food India 2025 was equally robust, featuring more than forty sessions conducted by partner states, focus states, ministries, international organizations, and industry associations. Sessions explored opportunities in pet food, nutraceuticals, plant-based foods, alcoholic beverages, and specialty foods, while the 3rd Global Food Regulators Summit provided a platform to deliberate on digital tools for risk management, next-generation regulatory skills, food safety through public-private partnerships, and nutrition-led strategies for addressing obesity.

The event witnessed strong industry and public participation, with more than 10,500 B2B meetings, 261 G2G meetings, and over 18,000 reverse buyer-seller meetings organized over four days. Cumulative footfall crossed 95,000, reflecting the scale and interest generated by the event.

Parallel to World Food India, the 24th India International Seafood Show was inaugurated by Union Minister Chirag Paswan on 25th September at Pragati Maidan. Organized by the Marine Products Export Development Authority, the show included industry lectures, roundtable meetings, technical sessions, and a reverse buyer-seller meet, focusing on unlocking the potential of India's seafood exports.

As World Food India 2025 drew to a close, it reaffirmed India's emergence as a global hub for food processing, innovation, and sustainable practices. With record-breaking investments, strengthened international partnerships, and a strong alignment with the vision of making India a world leader in agri-food value chains, the event has laid a solid foundation for future growth and global collaboration in the sector, the release highlighted.

- ANI