World Food India 2025 – Celebrating India as a food basket

The four-day World Food India 2025 event, held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, marked a significant milestone in the development of India’s food processing sector.

Inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi, the event featured 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. It brought together global leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and innovators to discuss the future of food and agriculture.

A highlight was a CEO panel discussion, moderated by Abhishek Gupta from Ernst & Young, which included Gaurav Sishodia of Invest India, Rajneet Kohli of Hindustan Unilever, Nitin Bhandari of PepsiCo, and Sunay Bhasin of MTR Foods. They discussed strategies for making Indian food accessible at every dining table. Topics included promoting millets globally, celebrating Indian culinary heritage, exploring opportunities in eco-friendly cutlery like banana leaves, protecting Indian markets via free trade agreements (FTAs), advancing research and development in Indian food technology, and fostering brand collaborations and influencer marketing.

Another session featured Vikas Gupta of Tata Consumer, Pranjuli Garg of Promeat, agribusiness specialist Raj Ganguly, and Anton Benjamin of Netzsch India. They highlighted the significant business potential of plant-based foods for enhancing nutrition, including the need for dairy alternatives for those who are lactose intolerant, protein sources like moong dal and chickpeas, and increasing label awareness among consumers.

Other sessions addressed topics such as marine, dairy, and meat products, bridging the gap between farms and markets, advancing evidence-based health solutions beyond nutrition, leveraging food loss and waste to transform food systems, innovations in alcoholic beverages, food processing technologies, and product packaging. They emphasized India’s emergence as a global food processing hub.

In his inaugural address, the Prime Minister stressed India’s commitment as a reliable global supplier, touting the country’s agricultural diversity, the rising demand from the middle class, and government initiatives like 100% foreign direct investment (FDI), the production-linked incentive scheme, and mega food parks. He announced credit-linked subsidies for 26,000 beneficiaries, totaling ₹2,518 crore under the PMFME scheme, demonstrating the government’s support for grassroots entrepreneurs.

During the summit, World Food India 2025 facilitated the signing of memoranda of understanding worth over ₹1,02,000 crore, representing one of the largest investment commitments in the Indian food processing sector, according to the organizers. The ministry of food processing Industries also enabled collaborations with prominent academic and research institutions, including NIFTEM-T and NIFTEM-K, to support technology transfer and partnerships in food fortification, nutraceuticals, and start-up incubation.

A CEO roundtable, co-chaired by Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Chirag Paswan, saw participation from more than 100 CEOs representing leading Indian and multinational companies. Their discussions centered 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.

A series of government-to-government meetings strengthened India’s international partnerships, with delegations from countries such as Russia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Maldives, Portugal, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Eswatini, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kuwait engaging with Indian counterparts to explore deeper cooperation in agriculture and food processing. These dialogues further solidified India’s position as a trusted partner in global agri-food value chains.

The technical agenda of World Food India 2025 comprised over forty sessions conducted by partner states, focus states, ministries, international organizations, and industry associations. Topics explored included opportunities in pet food, nutraceuticals, plant-based foods, alcoholic beverages, and specialty foods. The third Global Food Regulators Summit provided a platform to discuss digital tools for risk management, next-generation regulatory skills, food safety through public-private partnerships, and nutrition-led strategies to address obesity.

The event garnered strong industry and public participation, with more than 10,500 B2B meetings, 261 government-to-government meetings, and over 18,000 reverse buyer-seller meetings organized throughout the four days. The total attendance exceeded 95,000, reflecting the event’s scale and the interest it generated.

Parallel to World Food India, the 24th India International Seafood Show was inaugurated by Paswan on September 2. 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.

Helping startups at World Food India

This year’s World Food India focused on helping startups and small food businesses expand globally. The event, which featured pavilions from countries such as New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, and Russia, provided opportunities for small businesses to connect internationally by offering tailored B2B meetings. As the largest producer of milk, onions, and pulses, India is increasing its processed food exports, which reached US$49.4 billion in 2024-25, according to government data.

One example of a successful startup was Devinder Singh, who started Dilli Creamery in a small corner of Vikaspuri, Delhi, in 2024 to recreate the authentic taste of Punjabi paneer and dairy sweets. Beginning with just 20 liters of milk a day and handmade paneer, Singh focused on purity and tradition. After registering with FSSAI and receiving support for small food processors, he began production.

Today, Dilli Creamery produces 300-350 liters of milk, 20-25 kilograms of paneer, and 40-50 kilograms of sweets every day. For Singh, World Food India 2025 was a chance for his brand to stand alongside global names, attracting buyers while staying true to its roots. His stall, located in the Ministry of animal husbandry and dairying pavilion, drew international retailers.

Similar was the story of Shravan K Roy from Bihar’s Darbhanga-Mithila region. His journey began in December 2019 when he launched a small processing and packaging unit. Initially producing only 100-150 kilograms of makhana a month, he sold mostly to local markets and faced many challenges. However, Roy believed that makhana deserved recognition as a global superfood.

Startup India, Startup Bihar, and B-HUB provided him with mentorship, while subsidies helped cover machinery costs, and export schemes opened international markets, he said. He then expanded his brand beyond Bihar to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Today, FT-MBA Makhana Wala processes 4-6 tons a month, offering a range of roasted, flavored, and premium-quality makhana. As a GI (Geographical Indicator)-authorized user, Roy represents his region’s heritage.

There were stories from abroad, too. Nadi Food, a German exhibitor at WFI, had a positive experience this year. Their salesperson noted that while the company had attended WFI in the past, this year they chose to exhibit. The representative mentioned that strong interest from Indian businesses encouraged them to explore opportunities and begin operations in India.

Over four days, 26 leading companies signed MoUs worth Rs1,02,046.89 crore (US$1149.55), marking one of the largest investment announcements in India’s food processing sector, a statement released by the government said. These commitments are expected to create over 64,000 direct jobs and benefit more than 1 million people indirectly.

The agreements involved major companies such as Reliance, Coca-Cola, Amul, Nestlé, and Tata Consumer Products and covered diverse sectors such as dairy, beverages, packaged foods, and ready-to-eat products with investments spanning 18 states. Invest India helped facilitate these MoU signings, supporting the government’s goal of making India a global hub for food processing.