An investor roundtable interaction was co-chaired by Rajesh Kumar Singh, secretary in the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), and Anita Praveen, secretary in the ministry of food processing industries with agri-food processing companies in New Delhi on 6 July 2023 in connection with the upcoming World Food India-2023 – being organized from 3-5 November, 2023, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The roundtable saw participation from leading global and Indian food processing companies. During the interaction, the future plans of the participating companies and their prospects of partnerships with the ministry for WFI-2023 were discussed.
In his special address, the secretary, DPIIT, emphasized the importance of the manufacturing sector in the growing Indian GDP. He mentioned the favorable agro-climatic zones in India that are not just suitable for the production of a wide variety of agri-commodities such as cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, etc., but also to process them in large quantities.
In her keynote address, the secretary, MoFPI, mentioned the growth and vast opportunities present in the food-processing sector. She said the ministry is organizing the second edition of the World Food India event, envisioning an even larger scale compared to the previous 2017 edition. The secretary invited all companies to participate in the event with great enthusiasm.
During the roundtable, the participating companies expressed their optimistic outlook on the Indian market and lauded the various initiatives taken by the Government of India to improve the business environment, including the policies such as the Production Linked Incentive Scheme and the flagship Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana initiated by MoFPI.
The companies expressed their interest in participating in World Food India-2023 and affirmed their willingness to sponsor the event and showcase their products and technologies through dedicated stall spaces. Many companies also showed keen interest in partnering with MoFPI for the sessions that are being planned as part of the event.
In his closing remarks, the additional secretary, MoFPI mentioned that the Investment Facilitation Cell (Invest India) and event partner FICCI will stay in touch with the companies to firm up the participation details. EY is roped in as the knowledge partner for the event.
