The two-day India Farm 2 Fork 2015, the 3rd international conference & exhibition, organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, concluded here with celebrations on Make in India and brand equity of Indian food business, wherein industry representatives vowed to come together to boost Make in India campaign of which brand equity will be an integral part based on quality and assurance.
The first session of day-two was on Make in India that was intended to open the floor to have strategic discussions amongst stakeholders that would lead to increased foreign investments in the country and bolster manufacturing sector.
Experts including Anuradha Prasad, joint secretary, MoFPI; Prashant Gokhale, president, Region South Asia, Buhler (India) Pvt. Ltd; Dr R S Khanna, chairman, Kwality Dairy; Ravindra Chaudhary, CEO, Patanjali Food and Herbal Park; and Gulshan Kalra, director, public affairs, Coca Cola India Pvt. Ltd; were among those present.
Experts stated that with a large agricultural sector, abundant livestock and cost-competitiveness, India was fast emerging as a sourcing hub of processed food. India’s rich agriculture base and presence of 127 agro-climatic zones make it a favourable destination for good processing. Strategic geographic location and proximity to food-importing nations also make India desirable for the export of processed foods.
India’s food processing sector ranks fifth in the world in exports, production and consumption.
Further liberalisation and the growth of organised retail have made the Indian market more attractive for global players. These all factors make India a lucrative destination for global players to Make in India. In the wake of these driving forces, Government of India has initiated the Make in India programme.
The experts also spoke about the lack of backward linkages and supply chains along with regulatory issues that pose a serious challenge towards achieving the goal of Make in India.
Further, the second discussion on branding, with Promotion of Indian Brands: Making Foot Prints across the Globe as subject, aimed at devising a roadmap involving all the stakeholders in achieving this platform.
Experts including, Rajiv Mishra, economic advisor, MoFPI; Dr Tarun Bajaj, GM, APEDA; Wouter Verhey, counsellor, agriculture, nature & food quality, India & Sri Lanka, Embassy of Netherlands; Priyanka Mittal from KRBL India Ltd; and Amit Dhanuka, CEO, Kejriwal Bee Care India Pvt. Ltd; spoke on the occasion.
They felt that the perception about Indian food products consumed domestically and export quality should be changed based on quality assurance and India can be a hub for processed food products for the globe.
Some of the experts stated that during FY11–15, India's exports of processed food and related products (inclusive of animal products), increased at a CAGR of 23.3 per cent to US$21.5 billion.
The strength of India can be further leveraged if the brand of processed Indian food products is promoted across borders. To accomplish the same, Government of India has initiated the Brand India campaign. APEDA, under ministry of commerce, is also undertaking lot of initiatives in this direction. Further APEDA gives a grant of Rs 50 lakh for brand promotion outside of India.
