Union commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the 40th edition of Aahar 2026, one of the world’s premier B2B trade platforms for the food and hospitality industry, on 10 March at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The five-day international exhibition will be held from 10 to 14 March 2026, 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.
Organized 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 favourable demographics, rising incomes, urbanisation, evolving lifestyles, and increasing leisure and business travel. At the centre 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.”
“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.
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 will set 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 will showcase 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. 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.
Aahar 2026 will also feature 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) & KREMAG.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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