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The second day of World Food India 2025, currently underway at Bharat Mandapam, marked major strides in India's vision to become the global food basket.
The summit witnessed the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 1 lakh crore in just the first two days, positioning the event as a key platform for investment and international collaboration in the food processing sector. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) released a statement, stating that 21 companies signed MoUs on Day 2 alone, committing investments of over Rs 25,000 crore. This builds on the momentum from Day 1, pushing the total investment commitments to over Rs 1 lakh crore. Over the first two days, more than 25 knowledge sessions were held, engaging stakeholders across the food processing and allied sectors. These sessions featured high-level participation from global regulators, policymakers, startups, and industry leaders. MoFPI further added that the discussions centred on key themes, including sustainability, technology, international partnerships, and investment opportunities. Day 2 featured special sessions hosted by partner and focus states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Bihar, as well as countries like New Zealand, Vietnam, Japan, and Russia. Central ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, the Ministry of AYUSH, APEDA, and the World Bank, also held thematic sessions. MoFPI hosted thirteen focused sessions around five key pillars of this year's edition, covering diverse topics such as pet food, nutraceuticals, speciality foods, alcoholic beverages, and plant-based foods. In addition to investment-focused activities, bilateral meetings were held with delegations from Russia and Portugal to strengthen government-to-government cooperation in agriculture and food processing. According to the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of HiWiPay, the event upheld an international standard, reflected in both its broad scale and the distinguished nature of its participants. "Along with leading global brands, there was strong representation from Indian states, boards such as the Spices Board, and several country pavilions. This is an impressive initiative by the Government to place India firmly on the global map, showcasing thousands of unique, niche products that are intrinsic to our country," she added. Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Head of Sustainability at PepsiCo India, stated that this marks the company's third consecutive year participating in the event. She emphasised that their current focus is on strengthening their longstanding relationship with farmers. Running parallel to the summit are two major international events: the 3rd Global Food Regulators Summit, hosted by the FSSAI, and the 24th India International Seafood Show (IISS), organised by the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI). These events aim to enhance global regulatory alignment and spotlight India's seafood export potential. "The event reinforced India's position as a receptive and investment-ready destination, urging global stakeholders to leverage innovations across food processing segments, collaborate in technology transfer and knowledge sharing and participate in India's journey from food security to nutrition security," the Ministry stated. (ANI)
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