The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the second edition of the Mega food event ‘World Food India 2023’ at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi today. He disbursed Seed Capital Assistance for over one lakh SHG members to strengthen Self Help Groups. Shri Modi also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion. The event aims to showcase India as the ‘food basket of the world’ and celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister hailed the technology and startup pavilion and food street showcased on the occasion and said that the fusion of technology and taste will pave the way for the economy of the future. In the changing world of today, the Prime Minister highlighted one of the prime challenges of food security and underlined the significance of World Food India 2023.

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Prime Minister Modi underlined that the outcomes of World Food India are a huge example of India’s food processing sector being recognized as the ‘sunrise sector’. In the last 9 years, the Prime Minister informed that the sector has attracted foreign direct investment of more than Rs 50,000 crores as a result of the government’s pro-industry and pro-farmer policies. Throwing light on the PLI scheme in the food processing sector, the Prime Minister said that it is providing huge assistance to the new players in the industry. He mentioned that work is underway on thousands of projects under the Agri-Infra Fund for post-harvest infrastructure. The approximate investment for these projects exceeds Rs 50,000 crores.

Additionally, investment in processing infrastructure in the fisheries and animal husbandry sector received encouragement, with thousands of crores of funds.

“The investor-friendly policies by the government are taking the food sector to new heights”, Shri Modi remarked. In the last 9 years, the Prime Minister informed that the share of processed foods in India’s agricultural exports has grown from 13 percent to 23 percent, making an overall increase of 150 percent of exported processed foods. “Today, India stands at the 7th position with an overall export value of more than 50,000 million USD in agricultural produce”, he informed. He underlined that there is no sector in the food processing industry where India has not shown unprecedented growth and said that it is a golden opportunity for every company and start-up associated with the food processing industry.