World Food India 2025: A Global Platform for Food Industry Investments

The second day of World Food India 2025, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, saw India making significant progress towards its vision of becoming the global food basket. The event facilitated the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, establishing the summit as a vital nexus for investment and international collaboration in the food processing industry.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) reported that 21 companies entered MoUs on Day 2 alone, pledging investments exceeding Rs 25,000 crore. This development builds on the momentum from Day 1, elevating total investment commitments beyond Rs 1 lakh crore. Over two days, the summit hosted over 25 knowledge sessions, engaging global regulators, policymakers, startups, and industry leaders in high-level discussions.

Key themes of the discussions included sustainability, technology, international partnerships, and investment opportunities, with special sessions by partner states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Bihar, and countries like New Zealand and Japan. Central ministries and institutions including the Ministry of Agriculture also conducted thematic sessions, further enriching the discourse.

MoFPI organized thirteen focused sessions around five key pillars of the summit, touching on diverse topics like pet food and plant-based foods. Additionally, bilateral meetings with Russian and Portuguese delegations aimed to bolster government-to-government cooperation in agriculture and food processing sectors.

Geeta Chauhan, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of HiWiPay, noted the event's international standard, underscored by its scale and diverse participant representation, including global brands and Indian state boards. Yashika Singh of PepsiCo India highlighted their ongoing partnership with farmers, marking their third consecutive year of participation.

Running alongside the summit are key international events: the Global Food Regulators Summit and the India International Seafood Show, focusing on global regulatory alignment and India's seafood export potential. The Ministry emphasized the event's role in reinforcing India as an investment-ready destination, inviting global stakeholders to engage in innovations and collaborations in the food processing sector.

(With inputs from agencies.)