The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India, organized a two-day Chintan Shivir at Udaipur, Rajasthan, under the chairmanship of the Minister for Food Processing Industries. The Shivir brought together senior representatives from 22 Central Ministries, 27 State Governments and Union Territories, over 30 industry members, academic institutions, NIFTEMs and Invest India, reflecting a whole-of-government and whole-of-industry approach to deliberating on strengthening India’s food processing ecosystem through policy reforms, innovation, value-chain integration and collaborative action. The deliberations were attended by Secretary FPI, Special Secretary FPI, and other senior officials of the Ministry. The Shivir also witnessed active participation from senior State and UT officials, including Additional Chief Secretaries from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, Principal Secretaries from Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, among other senior representatives. Senior officials from key Central Ministries and Departments, including Senior Economic Advisor, Department of Commerce, and Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, among others, also participated actively in the discussions, contributing to rich and outcome-oriented deliberations.

Inaugural Session: Vision for a Modern Food Processing Ecosystem

Inaugurating the Chintan Shivir, the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Shri Chirag Paswan, emphasised the Government’s steadfast commitment to building a modern, competitive and inclusive food processing sector that enhances farmer incomes, reduces post-harvest losses, promotes value addition, strengthens food safety and nutrition, and generates large-scale employment — particularly for youth and women.

The Minister highlighted food processing as a critical pillar for strengthening agri-value chains, expanding India’s export footprint, and positioning the country as a trusted global supplier of high-quality, value-added and sustainable food products, in alignment with national development priorities.

On the occasion, special publications showcasing technological advancements in food processing and success stories of Start-up Grant Challenge winners were released, reinforcing the Ministry’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Group Deliberations: Key Challenges and Strategic Recommendations

The Chintan Shivir featured intensive and structured brainstorming sessions across six thematic groups, each focusing on critical dimensions of India’s food processing ecosystem. The themes encompassed strategies to double the level of food processing in India over the next five years through targeted sectoral interventions; enhancing exports of processed foods and positioning India strongly on the global stage; planning and development of high-growth segments such as nutraceuticals, food fortification, plant-based protein–rich products and alcoholic beverages; promoting food safety and quality through stronger regulatory and enforcement mechanisms; strengthening agri-food value chains from farm to fork; and addressing myths and misconceptions around processed foods in the context of nutrition, health and food security through evidence-based discourse.

Across these themes, the groups put forth a set of actionable and outcome-oriented recommendations. Key proposals included strengthening farm-level aggregation and MSME participation, expanding modern processing capacity, cold-chain and logistics infrastructure, and improving quality and safety standards to boost processing levels. To enhance exports, emphasis was placed on export-oriented infrastructure, improved market access through trade agreements, promotion of ‘Brand India’, development of a single integrated digital platform for market intelligence and regulatory support and leveraging gastro-diplomacy. Institutional reforms such as the establishment of a National Food Processing Promotion Council, introduction of a Bharat Quality Food Mark, development of innovation clusters and digital traceability platforms, and dedicated support for nutraceuticals, plant-based proteins and alcoholic beverages were recommended. Further, the groups stressed science- and risk-based food safety regulation, AI-enabled monitoring and faster testing systems; cluster-based agri-food processing hubs with convergence of schemes, value-chain financing and farmer capacity building; support for indigenous manufacturing of food processing machinery; and end-to-end traceability. To address nutrition and food security concerns, the recommendations underscored scientific communication to dispel myths around processed foods, public awareness initiatives, inclusion of food science education in school curricula, research support, evidence-based nutritional guidelines aligned with Indian food habits, and streamlined regulatory frameworks to foster innovation, startups and R&D-driven food products.

State Best Practices: Driving Holistic Sectoral Development

The Chintan Shivir witnessed strong and substantive participation from States and Union Territories, which shared best practices and policy innovations aimed at the holistic development of the food processing sector. Uttar Pradesh outlined a comprehensive roadmap to double its food processing capacity through attractive schemes and incentives, development of food parks, a robust single-window clearance system and facilitation of large-scale unit creation. Maharashtra highlighted its leadership under the PMFME scheme, state-specific initiatives for sectoral growth, promotion of fortified foods, encouragement of women-led enterprises and strong institutional support mechanisms. Andhra Pradesh showcased successful cluster-based value-chain interventions supported through state incentives and central schemes such as PMKSY and PMFME, with notable outcomes in coffee, cocoa and fisheries.

Other States also presented impactful initiatives aligned with reform, competitiveness and export orientation. Chhattisgarh emphasised reform-led governance, value-chain development, ease of doing business and a focus on export-oriented growth, while Madhya Pradesh positioned itself as an emerging hub for food processing and agri-exports through competitive incentives and integrated processing clusters. Uttarakhand shared its horticulture-led development model, highlighting high subsidy support, FPO-driven processing initiatives and a focused approach towards perishables. In addition, States and Union Territories including Bihar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Telangana offered region-specific insights and suggestions, contributing to rich inter-state learning and reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the Chintan Shivir.

On the sidelines of the Chintan Shivir, Minister for Food Processing Industries also inaugurated the Common Incubation Facility at Krishi Upaj Mandi Samiti (KUMS), Udaipur, Rajasthan, aimed at processing Minor Forestry Products such as custard apple, jamun, amla and aloe vera, along with spices. The facility, developed with the support under PMFME scheme of MoFPI, is expected to strengthen value addition, support local entrepreneurs, and promote sustainable utilisation of regional agri and forest produce, thereby contributing to inclusive growth and livelihood generation in the region.

Way Forward

Concluding the Chintan Shivir, the Minister for Food Processing Industries appreciated the collective efforts of all participants for arriving at practical, forward-looking and implementable recommendations. He reiterated the Ministry’s willingness to handhold stakeholders and extend all necessary support to address critical gaps and accelerate sectoral growth.

The Minister urged all stakeholders to work collaboratively towards time-bound implementation of the recommendations, emphasising that sustained coordination between the Centre, States, industry and institutions would be key to realising India’s ambition of becoming a global leader in food processing.