Technology will drive food processing sector, says Chirag Paswan

Technology-driven innovations, global partnerships and value addition will fast-track the development of the food processing sector in India, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan has said.

“The global processes and practices being adopted by Indian companies will play a crucial role in propelling the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he added.

Inaugurating the ‘International Conference on Advanced Next Generation Vision for Emerging and Sustainable Healthy Foods (Anvesh 2026)’ at National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM–Kundli), Paswan said: “For a nation of 1.4 billion people, being at the tech cutting edge is essential.” He also underscored the imperative of taking innovations, R&D and global processes to India’s farmers in rural and remote areas.

Anvesh 2026 has been conceived as a global convergence for dialogue in the food processing sector, with investors, researchers and entrepreneurs celebrating India’s commitment to building a globally-competitive processed food ecosystem. The conference is being attended by Indian and global experts in the food processing space, attended by over 100 speakers, of which 33 are from overseas, representing 25 nations and covering every continent.

Paswan pointed to the growing demand for ready-to-eat -cook products given changing consumer lifestyles, adding that 100 per cent FDI in trading, including e-commerce of food products manufactured or produced in India, was permitted over a decade ago.

In his address, Avinash Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, emphasised the need for India to move the needle from “food security to food leadership”. “As India rises economically, this critical sector must move to create global value, transforming farm surplus to innovation, opportunity and competitiveness. Over the next six to seven years, we aim to double India’s food processing output,” Joshi added.

Explaining the importance of technology, Dr HS Oberoi, Director of NIFTEM-Kundli, said India’s ascent in the global food value chain was being defined not by output, but by scientific precision, nutritional intelligence and innovation-led enterprises.