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The event featured participation from leading food-processing companies, buyers, and trade professionals, with representation from 17–18 countries
The 17th edition of the Annapoorna Interfood Exhibition, organised by FICCI in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) was recently held in Mumbai.
“FICCI’s Annapoorna Interfood event is a window into the potential of India’s food processing industry to transform agriculture, livelihoods, and consumer experience,” said Avinash Joshi, Secretary, MoFPI.
Avinash Joshi was speaking at the 17th edition of the Annapoorna Interfood Exhibition, organized by FICCI in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). “With rising agricultural productivity, growing domestic demand, and evolving consumption patterns, we must scale up processing, value-addition, and food-safety standards, otherwise farmers will forego the prosperity they deserve, and consumers will miss out on choice, quality, and fairness. Through policy support, subsidies, and credible regulation, we aim to ensure this sector flourishes, for everyone,” added Joshi.
The Annapoorna Interfood event which drew a large gathering of stakeholders from across India, Africa, the US, Europe, the UAE and Australia, featured participation from leading food-processing companies, buyers, and trade professionals, with representation from 17–18 countries exploring India’s dynamic market.
Emphasising the importance of government support in driving sectoral growth, Joshi highlighted that India’s strength lies in its agricultural foundation, and the country’s challenge, and opportunity, is to convert that foundation into sustainable prosperity through food processing. Under flagship schemes such as the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and the PMFME Scheme (Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises), MoFPI provides extensive assistance including capital subsidies for small and micro enterprises, financial support of 35 per cent–50 per cent for setting up cold-chain facilities, food-testing labs, incubation centers, and processing units in agricultural clusters, as well as special incentives and seed funding for self-help groups, particularly women-led SHGs, to begin food-processing ventures. “Through these programmes, we are not just processing produce, we are transforming rural livelihoods, boosting employment, and offering consumers better quality and diverse products,” Joshi noted.
At the event, Nandini Roy Chowdhury, Principal Consultant at Future Market Insights, presented an industry report highlighting how Gen Z has redefined the meaning of a modern consumer. Unlike millennials, Gen X, or boomers, Gen Z’s relationship with products, technology, and brands is fundamentally different, influencing not only how they shop but also how they eat, the tools they use, and the standards they expect from brands.
State-level industrial momentum was also highlighted by Rajesh Rathod, Executive Director of the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC), who noted that his state is witnessing strong investor interest in food processing. “With improved connectivity, growing infrastructure, and availability of land and workforce, Madhya Pradesh is fast becoming a preferred destination for food-processing units. The sector holds immense promise, and we are committed to supporting investors,” he said.
Industry leaders further emphasized the significance of this platform. Balvinder Singh Sawhney, Assistant Secretary-General of FICCI, welcomed the gathering and underscored the importance of exhibitions like Annapoorna in the post-COVID-19 era. “The pandemic accelerated consumer demand for convenience, quality, and safety. Today’s exhibition reconnects the value chain, bringing together producers, processors, regulators, and buyers, and opening up new opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and growth,” he stated.
Now in its 17th edition, the Annapoorna Interfood Exhibition remains one of India’s most established platforms dedicated to the food-processing industry, said Ashwani Pande, CEO, VA exhibitions. Bringing together small-scale producers, large enterprises, exporters, regulators, and policymakers under one roof, it provides an in-depth look at India’s evolving food ecosystem added Ashwani. The Annapoorna Exhibition showcases India’s growing food-processing ecosystem, offering a national platform where producers, processors, exporters, and buyers converge. The exhibition not only highlights emerging products but also serves as a significant outreach forum, offering clear guidance on processing standards, food safety protocols overseen by FSSAI, and export norms enforced by APEDA.