The commerce ministry’s arm, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), has launched a new initiative titled Bharati, aiming to empower 100 agri-food startups, drive innovation and target $50 billion exports by the year 2030.
Starting September 2025, the inaugural pilot cohort will empower 100 startups, including high-value agri-food producers, technology-driven service providers and innovators.
Bharati, an acronym for Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement, was launched on the sidelines of a meeting stakeholders of the food & beverages sector chaired by Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Minister of foreign trade, and Union minister of food processing industries Chirag Paswan were also present in the meeting.
The ministry said Bharati has been designed to empower 100 agri-food and agri-tech startups, accelerate their journey, promote innovation and create new export opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Conceived as Apeda’s vision to achieve $50 billion in agri-food exports for its scheduled products by 2030, the initiative marks a significant step to strengthen India’s agricultural and processed food exports.
The Bharati initiative is structured to complement and enhance industry and government-led incubation programs in the agriculture, food and food processing sectors. “It seeks to drive innovation in high-value categories such as GI-tagged agri-products, organic foods, superfoods, novel processed Indian agri-foods, livestock products and AYUSH products,” Apeda said.
The initiative also aims to attract startups working on advanced technologies such as AI-based quality control, blockchain-enabled traceability, IoT-enabled cold chains and agri-fintech, while addressing critical areas like innovative packaging, sustainability and sea protocols.
The initiative seeks to resolve export challenges related to product development, value addition, quality assurance, perishability, wastage and logistics. By fostering a collaborative ecosystem, the program will connect agri-food innovators, tech-driven solution providers and SPS-TBT-focused startups to deliver scalable, cost-effective solutions that enhance India’s global competitiveness.
Aligned with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat, vocal for local, digital India and startup India visions, the initiative is expected to create globally competitive agri-products, fuel demand-driven backward integration for food innovation and boost global demand for Indian food, beverage and processed food products and services.
It includes a nationwide awareness campaign to engage stakeholders and attract solution-oriented startups from across India, along with an application and selection process beginning September 2025 through the Apeda website to shortlist 100 startups for the export program. Selected startups will undergo a three-month acceleration program focusing on product development, export readiness, regulatory compliance, market access and collaborative solutions to address export challenges.
To strengthen this ecosystem, Apeda will partner with state agricultural boards, agricultural universities, premier institutions such as IITs and NITs, industry bodies and existing accelerators to attract startups for agri-export enablement.
The pilot cohort will serve as a model for a scalable annual incubation program, driving continuous innovation and long-term export growth. Apeda reiterated its commitment to developing and promoting the export of agricultural and processed food products from India to global markets.
With the launch of the Bharati initiative, Apeda aims to accelerate export growth of its scheduled products, foster innovation and forge meaningful collaborations by harnessing the power of youth and entrepreneurship to strengthen India’s position in global agri-food trade.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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