India’s Food Processing Level Rises to Nearly 17% : Chirag Paswan
Ahmedabad, June 9 (TNT): Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday said India is steadily emerging as a global food processing hub and underscored the importance of value addition, technology adoption and regional cooperation in transforming South Asia’s food economy.
Inaugurating the two-day SAPLING Dialogue 2026 titled “Unlocking Value: Advancing Food Processing for Employment Generation and Sustainable Growth in South Asia”, Paswan said the food processing sector has immense potential to generate employment, reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmer incomes and strengthen food security.
The event is being organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) in collaboration with the World Bank Group-led SAPLING (South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth) initiative.
“Food processing is the bridge between agriculture and prosperity. It plays a critical role in enhancing value addition, creating jobs and building resilient food systems,” Paswan said.
The dialogue has brought together around 200 participants, including policymakers, industry leaders, development partners, researchers, innovators, startups and representatives from South Asian countries.
The discussions are focused on strengthening food processing ecosystems, promoting value addition in agriculture and developing resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems across the region.
Paswan said policy reforms and infrastructure development undertaken by the Government of India are helping create globally competitive food value chains and attracting investments across the sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitubhai Vaghani highlighted the role of food processing as a driver of agricultural transformation and economic growth.
He advocated setting up a campus of the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) in Gujarat to further strengthen the link between agriculture and industry.
The inaugural session was attended by Paul Procee, Acting Country Director for India, World Bank; Ms. Archna Vyas, Country Director for India, Gates Foundation; and Avinash Joshi, Secretary, MoFPI.
Senior representatives from major global and Indian organisations, including Nestlé, Bayer, Rabobank, Ajinomoto, ITC Limited, SEWA, NABARD and Food Industry Asia are participating in the discussions.
An Innovation Fair organised alongside the dialogue is showcasing technologies in cold-chain logistics, digital traceability, sustainable packaging, smart food processing and storage systems.
On the occasion, the Ministry released a report titled “Assessment of the Level of Food Processing in India”, which found that the country’s overall food processing level increased from around 10 per cent in 2016 to nearly 17 per cent in 2023.
The report identified significant opportunities for value addition in fruits, vegetables and dairy products and recommended measures to strengthen infrastructure, reduce post-harvest losses, enhance farmer incomes and improve India’s global competitiveness in the food economy.
The dialogue is aligned with the World Bank Group’s AgriConnect initiative and SAPLING platform, which aim to promote resilient and nutrition-focused food systems through policy reforms, investment mobilisation and technology-driven solutions across South Asia.
Officials said the event is expected to facilitate cross-country learning, strengthen regional cooperation, encourage private investment and support food processing-led employment generation and economic growth in the region.
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