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The Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD) organised a technical session here on the sidelines of World Food India 2025, as per a government release.
Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary, DoF, in his keynote address, underscored the transformative role of FishTech in reducing post-harvest losses, ensuring quality, and promoting exports. Highlighting fish as a crucial food to fight hunger, he noted that more than three crore Indians depend on the sector for their livelihood. He further acknowledged the pivotal role of women in fisheries, both in production and in strengthening the country's nutritional security. Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to strengthen marine product processing through modern plants, cold chains, and smart harbours, the session brought together experts, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. Discussions focused on retail transformation under "Blue Revolution 2.0", with a strong call for strengthening cold chain infrastructure, processing facilities, and digital market access. Mehra also highlighted the development of a National Framework for Traceability in collaboration with MPEDA and EIC (Export Inspection Council) to meet global standards in the sector. B. K. Behera, Chief Executive, NFDB, presented advanced technologies, including RAS, Biofloc, Aquaponics, and inland cage culture clusters, along with AI-enabled systems and drone applications for sustainable aquaculture. While Kari Logason, General Manager at Nautic (an Icelandic Naval architecture firm), joined the session virtually and shared insights on modern deep-sea fishing vessels and AI-integrated processing systems, expressing interest in collaborations to design customised vessel technologies for India, as per the release. Additionally, the need to promote value-added seafood products from underutilised species and by-products was highlighted to reduce post-harvest losses and boost exports. The second day of World Food India 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam, marked significant strides in India's vision to become a 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. (ANI)
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