The inaugural edition of Indusfood Ahmedabad 2026 at HEC Gandhinagar got off to a promising start on Friday, drawing a healthy turnout of trade visitors despite the harsh weather.
The three-day exhibition, which marks the debut of the Indusfood platform in Ahmedabad, witnessed participation from domestic and international buyers, reinforcing the state’s growing importance as a manufacturing and food processing hub.
The three-day exhibition, being held from 24 to 26 July 2026 at the Helipad Exhibition Centre (HEC), Gandhinagar, brings together stakeholders from the food processing, packaging, ingredients and manufacturing sectors.
As part of the exhibition, IndifoodBev and Packaging South Asia will host the FoodTekPack Conference on 25 July 2026 at the same venue. The conference will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, technology providers and brand owners to deliberate on emerging trends in food processing and packaging, sustainability, innovation, automation and the evolving requirements of India’s rapidly growing food and beverage industry.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Sandip Das, director general TPCI, said the response from the industry exceeded expectations despite concerns over weather conditions. He noted that while pre-registrations from trade visitors were comparatively modest, more than 500 trade visitors had already entered the venue within the first hour of the exhibition, in addition to hosted buyers from over 28 countries and domestic hosted buyers.
“Even with the harsh climate, the business community of Gujarat has shown tremendous resilience by turning up in large numbers. It gives us great encouragement to launch our first flagship trade show in Gujarat,” Das said.
The encouraging turnout reflects the state’s vibrant business ecosystem and expressed confidence that a successful Gujarat edition could pave the way for a larger national platform in the future, he said. Das acknowledged the support of industry stakeholders and institutional partners for making the event possible.
The Inaugural session underscored the growing role of innovation, exports and value addition in strengthening India’s food manufacturing ecosystem. Speakers highlighted the need for stronger industry collaboration, technology adoption and product innovation to improve global competitiveness across food processing segments.
Speaking on the opportunities in the dairy sector, Aditya Jain, deputy general manager, Dairy Development Board, said India must increasingly focus on producing value-added dairy ingredients and specialized products for export markets rather than relying solely on conventional dairy offerings.
According to Jain, products such as fractionated proteins, lactoferrin and other high-value dairy ingredients offer significant export potential. However, he stressed that success in international markets would depend on maintaining global quality standards while embracing sustainable production practices.
Jain said technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation would become increasingly important as dairy processors scale up operations to meet global demand. At the same time, he emphasized that farmers must remain at the center of India’s dairy growth story.
“While we move towards exports and advanced technologies, we cannot lose sight of the farmer. They remain the cornerstone of India’s dairy sector,” he said.
The event featured discussions on the evolving landscape of India’s food and beverage industry, with speakers highlighting the increasing importance of product innovation, sustainability and export-oriented manufacturing as Indian brands expand their global presence.
Addressing the opportunities in the snacks segment, Ashish Agarwal, managing director, Bhikaram Chandimal highlighted the rapid growth of the Indian snacking industry, noting that the sector has evolved from serving primarily domestic consumers to becoming a recognized category on the shelves of leading global retailers.
Agarwal urged manufacturers to continue investing in innovation, arguing that continuous product development would be critical for sustaining growth in both domestic and overseas markets. “The market is open for everyone. Keep innovating, and the opportunities will continue to grow,” he said.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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