Union Minister Chirag Paswan Inaugurates ‘Indusfood 2026’ in Greater Noida, UP

In January 2026, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), inaugurated the 9th edition of the Indusfood, Asia’s premier global Food and Beverage (F&B) sourcing and trade show, at India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP).

• The three-day event, held from January 8 to 10, 2026, was organized by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I).

Highlights of Indusfood 2026:

Overview: IndusFood, an annual event, aims to promote Indian Agri-Exports, facilitate business and trade, encourage export-oriented entrepreneurship, and organize seminars, conferences, and workshops.

Dignitaries: Abhishek Dev, Chairman, Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA); Mohit Singla, Chairman, TPCI; Jens Wolfgang Michel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abu Dhabi Food Hub (KEZAD); and Ashish Kumar Agarwal, Managing Director (MD), Bhikharam Chandmal, were present at the event.

Participation: The event featured over 2,200 exhibitors from over 30 countries and more than 15,000 buyers from over 120 countries.

New Pavilions: The event added two new pavilions such as Pet Food & Animal Nutrition and Cookware & Kitchenware, reflecting growing global demand due to changing lifestyles, focusing on wellness, premium products, and sustainability.

Key Initiatives of Indusfood 2026:

World Culinary Heritage Conference:

Overview: On January 9, 2026, as part of the event, the 1st World Culinary Heritage Conference 2026 was held.

Organizer: The conference was organized by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA).

Objective: Brought together international and Indian chefs, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss culinary heritage preservation and innovation.

BHARATI Startup Challenge: 

Launch: During the event, APEDA launched Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement (BHARATI) Startup Challenge, with an aim to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural and processed food export sector.

Mentorship & Market Access: The startup challenge aims to support export-ready startups through mentorship from industry experts, market access guidance, and policy facilitation to ease export processes.

• The selected startups can participate in Gulfood, Dubai (United Arab Emirates, UAE) and BIOFACH (Germany), enabling them to explore global market opportunities.

APEDA Pavilion: It showcased export-ready agricultural and processed food products, quality assurance and traceability systems, Geographical Indication (GI) tagged products, and sustainability-focused practices.

Other Initiatives:

India–UAE Food Corridor: Launched by the Abu Dhabi Food Hub(the United Arab Emirates, UAE), this initiative aimed to enhance food security, streamline supply chains, and boost bilateral trade flows.

Saudi Arabia Milestone: Saudi exhibitor Alsalan celebrated its 75-year legacy, highlighting long-standing food trade ties and strengthening partnerships with India.

Bharat Mart & Logistics Platforms: Special sessions by DP World focused on export infrastructure, logistics integration, and policy-level dialogue to enhance India’s export competitiveness.

Tasting & Innovation Platforms: Featured Cyprus’ Cheese & Wine Tasting and APEDA’s ‘Bharati Initiative’, showcasing Indian agri-food start-ups through Shark Tank–style sessions.

MoU signed:

Agreement: During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi(KEZAD), UAE and the TPCI for the India-UAE Food Corridor, aimed at strengthening bilateral food trade.

India’s F&B Exports: In the Financial Year 2024-25 (FY-25), India’s total F&B exports reached USD 47.3 billion and processed food exports were USD 7.9 billion, with cocoa and cocoa-based leading the segment.

About Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI):
Chairman – Mohit Singla
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 2012