Aahar 2019 offers insight to food safety concerns, innovations

This 34th edition of the event is significant especially when India is considered among the fastest growing economies in the world

Bringing the  prominent  ‘brands’ of food  and   hospitality industries from  India   and  rest  of  the  world , the annual  event of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Aahar 2019 (March 12-16) has commenced  at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

With  more  than 560  participants from  India  and  abroad, AAHAR 2019  actively  shares  the  latest  consumers   trends, concerns, new  innovations  and trade avenues . The event  is  committed   to development  of  environment- friendly   technologies, and  providing   business  delegates  with exciting  high quality  products  and  services. Offering new opportunities for exports, the event also offers an insight to operational and food safety concerns and innovations to become energy-efficient, finding budget-friendly raw materials boosting productivity are all format of mind, while still aiming for greater profitability.

This 34th edition  of  the  event  is  significant especially  when  India  is  considered  among  the  fastest  growing  economies  in  the  world  and  its  food  processing  as  well as  hospitality sectors   are  recognized   as    major  attractions  for  the FDI due  to  conducive  business  environment, reforms   and favorable   government  policies.   

The event was jointly inaugurated by Paban K. Borthakur, Chairman & Managing Director, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) and Deepak Kumar, IAS, Executive Director, ITPO in Hall 7, Pragati Maidan.

Present on the occasion were  V.K. Macker, President,  FHSAI, Rajendra Mittal,  Senior  Representative ARCHII, Hema Maity, General Manager, ITPO, senior government officials, participants from India and abroad, delegates and media representatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Kumar highlighted the salient features of the event.  He indicated that despite  a huge  space  demand  for  participation,  the fair could not be organized on a large scale due to space constraints(only 22% available) as  the  event  has   been  hosted especially when ITPO is in the midst of implementing its ambitious project of redevelopment of Pragati Maidan into a world class International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC).

While expressing happiness over considerable participation of the foreign countries, he informed that the fair  has  elicited  participation from countries including China, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Israil, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, USA, UK, Ukraine and UAE.  

Deepak Kumar said that AAHAR is  an  excellent  platform  for  trade  promotion  and business  networking  for  all  the  stakeholders including top echelons of the Hotel and Hospitality industry including CEOs, General Managers, Executive Chefs, Executive House Keepers, Purchase Managers, senior representatives from catering industry and academic institutions, training hotel management professionals.

Paban K. Borthakur pointed out that APEDA participated with over 60 exporters under AAHAR banner with an objective to enhance India’s global  export of food items. Complimenting ITPO for  continuing legacy  of  all  the  events  despite  the IECC project,  he  was  confident  that  the  next  edition  of AAHAR would  be hosted with a larger participation response after  completion  of  the  project.  

The display profile is segregated into four categories in AAHAR  namely, ‘Food Products, Ingredients & Additives’, ‘F & B Equipment’, ‘House Keeping & Engineering Equipment’ and Confectionary.

The fair has been organised with support of  the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) and apex industry associations, Association of Resource Companies for Hospitality Industry of India(ARCHII), Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India(HOTREMAI),  All India Food Processors Association(AIFPA), Food & Hospitality Support Association of India(FHSAI), Federation of Indian Food and Hospitality Industry (FIFHI) and Forum of Indian Food Importers(FIFI).