World Food India 2023 | 06 Nov 2023

Source: PIB

Why in News?

The second edition of 'World Food India 2023' was inaugurated recently in New Delhi, where the Prime Minister of India provided Seed Capital Assistance to over one lakh Self Help Group (SHG) members.

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries launched the first edition of World Food India in 2017.

What is World Food India 2023?

• About:
  • World Food India 2023 is a gateway to the Indian food economy, facilitating partnerships between Indian and foreign investors.
  • It will be a one-of-a-kind gathering of manufacturers, producers, food processors, investors, policymakers, and organisations from across the global food ecosystem.
• Mascot:
  • MillInd (a probot) is the Mascot for World Food India 2023. 
• Focus Pillars:
  • Shree Anna (Millets): Leveraging India’s Super Food for the World
    • Millets can enhance food security, nutrition security, and sustainability in the face of global challenges such as climate change, population growth, and malnutrition.
    • The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023).
  • Exponential Food Processing: Positioning India as the Global Hub
    • To achieve this vision, India intends to boost its enablers that can support and accelerate its food processing industry.
    • One of the key enablers is Financing Agri Food Value Chains and also Providing adequate and affordable credit to the food processing sector, especially to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

What is the Current Status of the Food Processing Sector?

• Sunrise Sector:
  • The Food Processing Sector received recognition,owing to the outcomes of World Food India, often referred to as the 'sunrise sector’.
  • In the past nine years, the sector has attracted foreign direct investments exceeding Rs 50,000 crores, thanks to the government's industry-friendly and farmer-centric policies. 
• Production Linked Incentive:
  • The progress made under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in the food processing sector, has opened other dimensions.
    • Different ongoing projects under the Agri-Infra Fund, focusing on post-harvest infrastructure, with an investment exceeding Rs 50,000 crores, also hold massive potential for the sector.
    • Investments in processing infrastructure in the fisheries and animal husbandry sector, amounting to thousands of crores, are encouraged.
• Other Government Initiatives:
  • Creation of the Agri-Export Policy
  • Development of nationwide logistics and infrastructure
  • Establishment of district-level hubs
  • Expansion of Mega Food Parks
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana
  • Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme