PM to Participate in World Food India 2025; Boost for Food Processing Sector

• The Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in World Food India 2025 on 25 September at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where he will also deliver an address.
• Under the PMFME (Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises) scheme, credit-linked support of over ₹770 crore is being extended to about 26,000 beneficiaries for micro food processing projects worth over ₹2,510 crore.
• The wider expo (25–28 September) is meant to showcase India’s strengths in food processing, sustainability, organic and nutritious food innovations.

Background & Analysis:

• India has set ambitious goals to scale up its food processing sector as a means to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance farmers’ incomes, expand exports, and raise value addition in agriculture.
• The PMFME scheme is part of the larger “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” vision: to formalize and scale micro units, provide infrastructure, and integrate them into formal markets.
• India’s share in global processed food is still modest, and challenges include fragmentation of supply chains, infrastructure deficits (cold chains, logistics), quality and safety compliance, and credit access.

Implications / Way forward:

• The credit support can catalyze the sector, especially for small enterprises; but the real impact will depend on execution, handholding, market linkages, and regulatory support (food safety, standards).
• Expo can bring in investors, partnerships, innovation transfer, and spotlight export potential.
• Success will depend on state cooperation (ease of licensing, incentives, land), refining backward integration (linking farmers to processors), and easing access to technology.