The year 2024 surely belonged to the food industry, if one were to simply go by the mega shows and a host of numerous small food-related events held across India.
Starting with the food and beverage show Indus Food in January, going on to the food & hospitality fair Aahar in March and then Anuga Select India & Anuga FoodTec India in August, followed by World Food India in September, and ending with Sial India and the World Mithai & Namkeen Expo in December, stakeholders in the industry showcased their vast array of products, innovations and technologies in food processing, packaging, inspection systems, ingredients, flavors and brands.
Not to mention shows such as Fi India & Pro Pak, World of Ice-Cream, InterFoodTech, Snack and Bake Tech, India International Coffee Festival, India Food 2024 and Drink Technology India, and World Tea and Coffee Expo.
The burgeoning of these shows – such as the government of India-backed World Food India – only point to India’s rising position as a food powerhouse. Notably, 2025 also begins with the Indus – India Food Manufacturing Summit show in Delhi.
India’s food industry is one of the world’s largest, of which food processing forms a majority chunk. According to Statistia, revenue in India’s food market amounted to US$883.70bn in 2024. The market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of 7.69% from 2024 to 2029. Other reports say the agri and food industry contributes nearly 16% to India’s GDP.
Food processing constitutes a major part of the food sector in India, and one of the largest employers in organized manufacturing, with a 12.02% share in the total employment in the organized sector, stated the Economic Survey 2023-24, quoting ministry of food processing data. The gross value added (GVA) in the food processing sector has increased from ₹1.30 lakh crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.92 lakh crore in 2022-23. The sector constituted 7.66% of the GVA in manufacturing in 2022-23 at 2011-12 prices. GVA is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy.
A report by the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture says India is one of the largest countries in terms of food production, processing, supply and consumption. India’s food market is ranked sixth in the world and fifth in production, consumption and export. The food processing sector, it says, is projected to rise to US$ 535 billion by 2025-26.
IndiFoodBev at food shows
IndiFoodBev was present at many of these major events, covering the A to Z of the food industry.
At the Aahar show held in Delhi in March, for example, if packaging giant UFlex showcased its food packaging, food major Cargill highlighted its applications and products across bakery, confectionery, chocolates, and convenience foods and commercial refrigeration company Elanpro unveiled sustainable solutions to empower the Indian food service industry. The spotlight also fell on plant-based food foods where speakers and delegates from various sectors discussed innovations, challenges, and solutions for plant-based food products.
Anuga Select India & Anuga FoodTec India, held in Mumbai in August, was one of the biggest shows, showcasing major technological innovations with over 54,000 unique trade buyers attending the mega event. Anuga Select India featured brands from the F&B industry such as Everest, Revolt, Ocean, Gopal Snacks, Ruchi Gold and Fortune. The exhibition extended to international boundaries with pavilions from Brazil, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey.
Anuga FoodTec India included a display of machinery, processing, packaging and manufacturing companies such as Latini, a confectionery machinery serving brands such as Parle, Nestlé, and Hershey’s; Netzsch’s chic bean grinding technologies; Mitsubishi Electric with innovations in robotics and software; Sensograph with advanced, customized packaging solutions; and Flexlink with spiral elevator and versatile conveyor systems for the food and beverage industry; Wika India’s measuring instruments; Yamato’s counting system; Heat and Control with processing tech; Mettler Toledo and Switchon’s inspection systems; Domino’s industrial packaging; Uma Techno Fab’s frying lines; etc.
World Food India 2024, and the co-located Global Food Regulators Summit (GFRS) 2024, hosted by the ministry of food processing industries, in September at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, was one the largest events for the food processing and allied sectors in India, bringing together industry leaders from across the globe. Spanning not just processed food industries but critical allied sectors such as machinery, packaging, technology, and logistics, World Food India 2024 showcased innovations and opportunities across the entire food value chain.
The Global Food Regulators Summit focused on global food safety standards, featuring regulators and experts from WHO, FAO, and key domestic institutes. Apart from the showcases, key stakeholders and experts deliberated on important topics such as sustainable food value chains and climate-resistant agriculture; the global potential of Indian foods, irradiation in food preservation, sustainable packaging in food processing industries, etc.
Down south, the 18th Edition of Fi India & 6th Edition of ProPak India 2024 in Bengaluru brought together key stakeholders from the food, health, packaging, and processing sectors, featured over 340 exhibitors, and attracted more than 17,000 visitors.
According to Nilesh Lele, president, Chamber for Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses, who spoke at Fi India & ProPak India, the agri and food industry contributes nearly 16% to India’s GDP. Dairy accounts for about 20% of this sector, with value-added dairy products such as ghee, cheese, and butter driving significant growth. Other key sectors include beverages, snacks, and bakery.
The year ended with at Sial India 2024 and the World Mithai & Namkeen Expo at Yashobhoomi in Delhi. As part of the globally recognized Sial (Salon International de l’Alimentation) network, this exhibition served as a melting pot for food industry leaders, chefs, and enthusiasts to explore the latest trends, innovations, and opportunities shaping the future of food. The World Mithai & Namkeen Expo, held days later, highlighted innovations and advancements in the food and beverage sectors as well as showcased products, ingredients, and packaging solutions.
All in all, all the shows showcased India’s position as a food powerhouse and marked an eventful, sweet, and flavorful year.
IndiFoodBev — authentic, impactful and influential
An English-language food and beverage processing and packaging industry B2B platform in print and web, IndiFoodBev is in its third year of publication. It is said that the Indian food and beverage industries represent approximately US$ 900 billion in revenues which implies more than 20% of the country’s GDP. Eliminating the wastage on the farmside can help to deliver more protein to a higher number of the population apart from generating sizable exports. The savings in soil, seeds, water, fertilizer, energy and ultimately food and nutrition could be the most immense contribution that country is poised to make to the moderation of climate change.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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