Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the World Food India 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, calling the event a platform of “new contact, new connect and creativity” where farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and consumers had come together. He said the exhibition this year reflected India’s focus on nutrition, reducing oil consumption and promoting healthier packaged products.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister said that global investors, especially in the food sector, were increasingly looking at India with optimism. He described the country’s “triple strength of diversity, demand and scale” as a key driver of this interest. “India produces every kind of grain, fruit and vegetable. Every hundred kilometres, the cuisine changes, showing our rich variety. Strong domestic demand gives India a unique competitive edge,” he said.
Highlighting economic and social changes of the past decade, PM Modi said that 25 crore people had risen out of poverty to become part of the neo-middle class, a segment whose aspirations were shaping food trends. With India now the third-largest start-up ecosystem, he noted that young entrepreneurs were innovating in the food sector by using AI, e-commerce and drones to modernise supply chains and retail. He reiterated his message that “this is the right time to invest and expand in India.”
PM Modi stressed that India had always stepped forward during global challenges and was playing an active role in food security. He pointed out that the country was the world’s largest producer of milk, leading in millets, and ranking second in rice and wheat. India also made significant contributions in fruits, vegetables and fisheries, ensuring stability during global crop crises and supply disruptions.
The Prime Minister said the government had taken steps to strengthen the food processing sector by allowing 100% FDI, launching mega food parks, supporting units through the Production Linked Incentive scheme and creating the world’s largest storage infrastructure programme. He said India’s food processing capacity had risen twentyfold in a decade and exports of processed food had more than doubled.
He underlined the role of small farmers and grassroots groups, noting that more than 85% of India’s farmers are small or marginal. Over 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have been created since 2014, connecting lakhs of farmers to markets. “These FPOs are not just selling products, they are creating brands. From Kashmiri saffron to Kerala’s banana chips, from millet cookies of Rajasthan to makhana of Bihar, India’s diversity is reaching every home,” he said. More than 1,100 FPOs, he added, have achieved turnovers of over Rs 1 crore.
The Prime Minister also spoke about cooperatives, particularly in the dairy sector, noting that a separate ministry had been set up to support them. He said reforms in taxation and transparency had strengthened cooperatives, giving them new energy. On fisheries, he said infrastructure expansion, financial aid for deep-sea fishing and cold chain investments had boosted both production and exports, providing jobs to nearly three crore people.
PM Modi also referred to technological interventions like food irradiation to extend shelf life of crops, and the role of GST reforms in lowering costs. He said butter, ghee and milk cans now attract just 5% GST, while 90% of processed food products are in the zero or 5% tax slab. “This will ensure more nutrition at lower cost for the poor and middle class,” he said. He added that GST on biodegradable packaging had been cut from 18% to 5%, urging industry to invest in eco-friendly solutions.
The Prime Minister concluded by calling on global investors to seize the opportunities in India’s food sector. “India has opened its doors with an open mind. We are ready for collaborations across the food chain,” he said, congratulating all participants of the event.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, Union Ministers Chirag Paswan, Ravneet Singh and Prataprao Jadhav were among those present at the inaugural session.
World Food India 2025, held from September 25–28 at Bharat Mandapam, highlights India’s strengths in food processing, sustainability, and organic production. Featuring 21 countries and 150 international participants, the event includes CEO roundtables, B2B/G2G meetings, and 14 thematic pavilions, while over ₹770 crore in support will benefit 26,000 micro food enterprises.
