Aahar 2026 kicks off in Delhi

The five-day international Aahar exhibition kicked off on 10 March 2026 at Bharat Mandapam Delhi, bringing together food producers, exporters, hospitality businesses, technology providers, industry associations and global buyers on a single platform to explore new partnerships and business opportunities. The show will run till 14 March 2026.

Organised by ITPO under the Ministry of commerce & industry in association with the Ministry of food processing industries, Aahar has, over the past four decades, evolved into one of the most influential trade exhibitions for the food processing and hospitality ecosystem in Asia.

Addressing the curtain raiser, Jawed Ashraf, chairman, ITPO, said, “The food and hospitality sector is among the fastest-growing sectors in India, driven by favorable demographics, rising incomes, urbanization, evolving lifestyles, and increasing leisure and business travel. At the center of this growth is India’s food processing industry. India is already a major exporter of agricultural products, with value-added food products, equipment and accessories emerging as key growth areas. India’s new Free Trade Agreements are expected to further expand export opportunities, benefiting farmers and the MSME sector.”

Ashraf said a lot of emphasis is being placed on diversifying trading partners through a series of FTAs, but also market push. “One of the key priorities in the export strategy is to promote the exports of agro products, and processed food, but also of, in a way, reaching out to the world with labor-intensive, small-scale sector-driven industries,” he said.

“Food processing is at the heart of this. The food processing sector is valued at US$354 billion. That accounts for literally 9% of India’s manufacturing global value addition and 13% of organized sector employment. It is now the fifth-largest sector in the world, and it contributes about 32% of the global food market. 6% of our industrial investments take place in the processed food sector. The average growth has been about 7.3 or 7.5% over the past decade. 7.5% per annum over the past decade is really, really huge. As we look ahead, the US$354 billion is expected to become US$700 billion by 2030,” he said.

“Aahar brings together the entire food and hospitality ecosystem — from production to services — on a single platform and connects it with global markets. International participation continues to grow, with Italy participating as the Partner Country for the first time in this edition,” he added.

Italy will feature as the Partner Country for Aahar 2026, highlighting growing India–EU collaboration in food processing, gourmet foods and hospitality technologies, and opening new avenues for international partnerships and trade engagement.

“Italy was an important choice for us in the first year for several reasons. One, it builds on the EU-India FTA that was concluded during the EU-India Summit on 27 January. Second, we have seen a dramatic increase in India-Italy ties over the last few years, especially under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Italian Prime Minister. They have really seen a lot of momentum in the last few years. Italy is one of the leading countries in the world for tourism, hospitality and the culinary art,” he said during the curtain raiser.

“We are looking to the future also with optimism because of the number of FTAs that have been signed. At the heart of those FTAs is also the opportunity to open markets for our food processing sector in some of the most important markets in the world, including the European Union, and UK. We are looking ahead to several more FTAs which are under negotiation,” he said.

India’s exports are perhaps not as promising as our domestic industry has been, but in certain areas such as rice, marine products, and spices, it is doing well, Ashraf said. “Exports of our agro sector are growing, but at the same time, the share of processed food, which is a value addition and which creates more employment, is also growing — from 14% in 2015 to 20% now. We are looking ahead despite all the turbulence and turmoil that you see in the world with some optimism.”

The exhibition is expected to witness extensive domestic and international participation, setting new benchmarks in terms of scale and industry engagement. Aahar 2026 will feature over 1,800 exhibitors, including 155 international participants from 17 countries, and is expected to attract more than one lakh business visitors during the five-day event.

Covering a gross exhibition area of over 1,15,000 square metres, the exhibition has received a strong response from leading food, beverage and hospitality brands from India and abroad. Apart from Italy as the Partner Country, several countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile and Thailand is setting up country pavilions, while other countries such as Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and Vietnam will also participate individually.

The exhibition is showcasing innovations across key sectors, including food products and beverages, food processing and value addition, food processing and packaging technology, hospitality technology and infrastructure, food-grade packaging solutions, cold chain and refrigeration technologies, and export promotion and global trade linkages.

Aahar 2026 is featuring several curated industry pavilions and platforms, including the APEDA Pavilion, MoFPI Pavilion, Foreign Participation Pavilion, ICMA Pavilion and FIFI Pavilion, along with industry events such as Hospitality Challenge and Culinary Art India 2026.

The exhibition has received active support from several industry associations, including All India Food Processors Association (AIFPA), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Association of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII), Federation of All India Caterers (FAIC), Food & Hospitality Support Association of India (FHSAI), Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), Food Industries Welfare Association (FIWA), and Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (HOTREMAI) and KREMAG.

Ancillary activities such as seminars, culinary competitions and industry interactions will also be organized on the sidelines of the exhibition to promote knowledge exchange and industry collaboration.

During the curtain raiser, ITPO also announced the launch of the Aahar 2026 Official Mobile App, designed to enhance visitor engagement and facilitate business networking during the event. The mobile application will allow participants to access a digital exhibitor directory, navigate interactive floor plans, schedule B2B meetings, use smart search filters and receive real-time notifications, enabling exhibitors and visitors to connect more efficiently.