World Food India 2017 becomes a massive hunting ground for UAE companies

As Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) gears up to launch its first event ’World Food India 2017’, many companies from UAE have shifted its radar to India. As per the report from MoFPI, numerous companies from UAE have shown interest to participate in the upcoming event which will be held at New Delhi.  Dubai Exports will also host a UAE pavilion at the event.

Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries said that during a recent road show, she met several UAE officials and many local companies and she was overwhelmed by their responses. Most of the companies have shown a very keen interest in participating in World Food India 2017. 

“My delegation and I met more than 80 large business groups and all have shown great interest in participating in the event. During the road show, I met several business leaders at an event organised by Dubai Exports on August 7. I also had separate meetings with prominent businessmen from various companies such as Sharaf Group, Essa Al Ghurair Group, Al Ain Dairy, Aujan Group, Hassani Group who have assured their participation in WFI 2017,” Jyoti said.

Mohammed Ali Al Kamali, deputy CEO of Dubai Exports, reaffirmed that Dubai Exports will support WFI 2017 through an integrated pavilion for companies and exporters from the UAE.

“We also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the area of food security, which is very important to the UAE as well as India. We hope to see more and more investors from the UAE coming to India for investment in food processing industries,” she added.

Set to be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, WFI 2017 will be held in New Delhi from November 3 to 5. More than 400 companies are expected to take part, including a large number of international players.

Anuradha Prasad, Joint Ssecretary,  Ministry of Food Processing Industries, said India is hosting its first such mega event in the backdrop of strong growth in the Indian food processing sector. She said an Indian delegation under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority has been coming to the UAE for Gulfood every year, but this road show is to promote the World Food India and the food processing sector in particular.

India’s food processing sector, she said, attracted $500 million worth of foreign direct investment in 2015-16 which jumped to $727 million in 2016-17, an increase of nearly 45 per cent. She expects FDI to reach $1 billion in coming years.