India's investor friendly policies taking food sector to new heights: PM Modi at World Food India 2023
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India's investor-friendly policies are taking the country's food sector to new heights.
Addressing the inaugural session of the second edition of the Mega food event 'World Food India 2023' event here in the national capital, the Prime Minister also said the demand for packaged food has increased significantly and this is creating opportunities for India's farmers, start-ups and entrepreneurs.
In the last nine years, PM Modi said the food processing sector received 50,000 crore Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The Prime Minister said that India has achieved remarkable growth in every sector of the food processing industry and the country's food diversity is a dividend for global investors.
Noting that India's sustainable food culture has evolved over thousands of years, Modi said our ancestors linked food habits to Ayurveda.
He further lauded the women in India for their natural ability to lead the food processing industry.
He pointed out the fact that 2023 is marking the International Year of Millets, and said that Millets are a key component of our 'superfood bucket.'
The Prime Minister also suggested of adopting the method of mitigating food wastage, saying "it is a significant endeavour in realising the objective of a sustainable lifestyle."
"Our products should be designed to minimize wastage," added the Prime Minister while addressing the gathering in the event which was also attended by Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Pashupati Kumar Paras, Prahlad Singh Patel and Parshottam Rupala.
The World Food India 2023' event aims to showcase India as 'food basket of the world' and celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets. It will provide a networking and business platform for government bodies, industry professionals, farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to engage in discussions, establish partnerships, and explore investment opportunities in the agri-food sector. CEOs roundtables will take place with a focus on investment and Ease of Doing Business.
Various pavilions are set up to showcase the innovation and strength of the Indian food processing industry. The event will host 48 sessions focusing on various aspects of the food processing industry, with an emphasis on financial empowerment, quality assurance and innovations in machinery and technology.
The event is poised to host participants from over 80 countries, including CEOs of prominent food processing companies. It will also feature a Reverse Buyer Seller Meet, with over 1,200 overseas buyers from more than 80 countries. The Netherlands will serve as the partner country, while Japan will be the event's focus country.
