The 18th Edition of Fi India and the 6th Edition of ProPak India 2024 kicked off at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), uniting key stakeholders from the food, health, packaging, and processing sectors. Organised͏͏ by͏͏ Informa͏͏ Markets͏͏ in͏͏ India,͏͏ the͏͏ expos͏͏ showcase͏͏ over͏͏ 340͏͏ exhibitors͏͏ and͏͏ are͏͏ expected͏͏ to͏͏ draw͏͏ more͏͏ than͏͏ 17,000͏͏ visitors͏͏ combined.
Growth͏͏ in͏͏ Packaged͏͏ Food͏͏ Sector:
The͏͏ post-pandemic͏͏ era͏͏ has͏͏ seen͏͏ remarkable͏͏ growth͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ online͏͏ food͏͏ sector͏͏ and͏͏ packaged͏͏ food͏͏ products.͏͏ A͏͏ report͏͏ by͏͏ IMARC͏͏ India͏͏ indicates͏͏ that͏͏ the͏͏ market͏͏ size͏͏ for͏͏ packaged͏͏ food͏͏ will͏͏ reach͏͏ USD͏͏ 3.4͏͏ billion͏͏ by͏͏ 2027.͏͏ The͏͏ Indian͏͏ food͏͏ processing͏͏ industry,͏͏ which͏͏ accounts͏͏ for͏͏ 32%͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ total͏͏ food͏͏ market,͏͏ is͏͏ one͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ largest͏͏ sectors͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ country,͏͏ contributing͏͏ around͏͏ 14%͏͏ to͏͏ manufacturing͏͏ GDP,͏͏ 13%͏͏ to͏͏ exports,͏͏ and͏͏ 6%͏͏ to͏͏ overall͏͏ industrial͏͏ development.͏͏ By͏͏ 2025-2026,͏͏ this͏͏ sector͏͏ is͏͏ expected͏͏ to͏͏ be͏͏ valued͏͏ at͏͏ over͏͏ USD͏͏ 535͏͏ billion.
Dr͏͏ Suresha,͏͏ President͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ Association͏͏ of͏͏ Food͏͏ Scientists͏͏ &͏͏ Technologists͏͏ India͏͏ (AFSTI),͏͏ stated,͏͏ “India’s͏͏ food͏͏ industry͏͏ is͏͏ experiencing͏͏ significant͏͏ growth,͏͏ with͏͏ exports͏͏ increasing͏͏ nearly͏͏ sixfold.͏͏ As͏͏ the͏͏ largest͏͏ producer͏͏ of͏͏ millets͏͏ and͏͏ milk,͏͏ India͏͏ aims͏͏ to͏͏ raise͏͏ milk͏͏ production͏͏ from͏͏ 230͏͏ to͏͏ 300͏͏ million͏͏ metric͏͏ tons͏͏ by͏͏ 2030.͏͏ Grain͏͏ production͏͏ has͏͏ also͏͏ surpassed͏͏ 330͏͏ million͏͏ metric͏͏ tons,͏͏ making͏͏ the͏͏ country͏͏ the͏͏ second-largest͏͏ meat͏͏ producer,͏͏ with͏͏ an͏͏ emphasis͏͏ on͏͏ expanding͏͏ exports.͏͏ The͏͏ packaging͏͏ industry,͏͏ which͏͏ has͏͏ grown͏͏ nearly͏͏ sixfold͏͏ over͏͏ the͏͏ past͏͏ decade,͏͏ plays͏͏ a͏͏ vital͏͏ role͏͏ in͏͏ supporting͏͏ this͏͏ expansion.”
He͏͏ added,͏͏ “Government͏͏ initiatives͏͏ like͏͏ Atma͏͏ Nirbhar͏͏ Bharat͏͏ are͏͏ further͏͏ driving͏͏ growth͏͏ in͏͏ food͏͏ processing,͏͏ providing͏͏ benefits͏͏ for͏͏ women-led͏͏ startups,͏͏ including͏͏ a͏͏ waiver͏͏ of͏͏ GST͏͏ for͏͏ the͏͏ first͏͏ five͏͏ years͏͏ and͏͏ additional͏͏ subsidies.͏͏ As͏͏ Bangalore͏͏ solidifies͏͏ its͏͏ status͏͏ as͏͏ a͏͏ hub͏͏ for͏͏ food͏͏ industry͏͏ R&D,͏͏ these͏͏ trends͏͏ underscore͏͏ the͏͏ crucial͏͏ role͏͏ of͏͏ both͏͏ ingredients͏͏ and͏͏ packaging͏͏ in͏͏ shaping͏͏ the͏͏ industry’s͏͏ future.”
Nilesh͏͏ Lele,͏͏ President͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ Chamber͏͏ for͏͏ Advancement͏͏ of͏͏ Small͏͏ and͏͏ Medium͏͏ Businesses͏͏ (CASMB),͏͏ highlighted͏͏ that͏͏ the͏͏ Agri͏͏ and͏͏ Food͏͏ industry͏͏ accounts͏͏ for͏͏ nearly͏͏ 16%͏͏ of͏͏ India’s͏͏ GDP,͏͏ valued͏͏ at͏͏ around͏͏ USD͏͏ 450͏͏ billion͏͏ (approximately͏͏ INR͏͏ 30͏͏ lakh͏͏ crore)͏͏ annually.͏͏ Dairy͏͏ products͏͏ make͏͏ up͏͏ about͏͏ 20%͏͏ of͏͏ this͏͏ sector,͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ market͏͏ size͏͏ of͏͏ INR͏͏ 6͏͏ lakh͏͏ crore.͏͏ The͏͏ demand͏͏ for͏͏ value-added͏͏ dairy͏͏ items͏͏ such͏͏ as͏͏ ghee,͏͏ cheese,͏͏ and͏͏ butter͏͏ is͏͏ driving͏͏ substantial͏͏ growth.͏͏ With͏͏ current͏͏ milk͏͏ consumption͏͏ at͏͏ 292͏͏ ml͏͏ per͏͏ capita͏͏ per͏͏ day,͏͏ there͏͏ is͏͏ considerable͏͏ potential͏͏ for͏͏ expansion͏͏ as͏͏ more͏͏ consumers͏͏ embrace͏͏ these͏͏ products.͏͏ Other͏͏ significant͏͏ sectors͏͏ include͏͏ beverages,͏͏ valued͏͏ at͏͏ INR͏͏ 2͏͏ lakh͏͏ crore,͏͏ and͏͏ snacks͏͏ and͏͏ bakery,͏͏ each͏͏ contributing͏͏ around͏͏ INR͏͏ 1͏͏ lakh͏͏ crore.
Continue͏͏ Exploring:͏͏ Sustainable͏͏ packaging firm͏͏ Xolopak͏͏ India͏͏ secures͏͏ investments͏͏ from͏͏ Bollywood͏͏ celebrities͏͏ and͏͏ leading͏͏ investors͏͏ in͏͏ pre-IPO͏͏ round
Technology͏͏ Advancements͏͏ in͏͏ Packaged͏͏ Food:
He͏͏ further͏͏ noted͏͏ that͏͏ advancements͏͏ in͏͏ technology,͏͏ such͏͏ as͏͏ extrusion,͏͏ are͏͏ propelling͏͏ the͏͏ growth͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ packaged͏͏ and͏͏ processed͏͏ food͏͏ industry͏͏ by͏͏ enhancing͏͏ snack͏͏ production.͏͏ Although͏͏ India’s͏͏ packaged͏͏ food͏͏ consumption͏͏ is͏͏ currently͏͏ about͏͏ 7%,͏͏ there͏͏ is͏͏ an͏͏ opportunity͏͏ to͏͏ boost͏͏ this͏͏ figure͏͏ to͏͏ 20%,͏͏ which͏͏ could͏͏ help͏͏ reduce͏͏ post-harvest͏͏ losses͏͏ and͏͏ prolong͏͏ shelf͏͏ life.͏͏ In͏͏ contrast,͏͏ more͏͏ developed͏͏ markets͏͏ see͏͏ packaged͏͏ food͏͏ consumption͏͏ rates͏͏ of͏͏ up͏͏ to͏͏ 80%.͏͏ As͏͏ the͏͏ global͏͏ population͏͏ increases,͏͏ the͏͏ need͏͏ for͏͏ efficient͏͏ food͏͏ processing͏͏ and͏͏ packaging͏͏ solutions͏͏ will͏͏ be͏͏ vital͏͏ to͏͏ meet͏͏ rising͏͏ demand͏͏ for͏͏ food͏͏ that͏͏ lasts͏͏ longer͏͏ and͏͏ is͏͏ easier͏͏ to͏͏ transport,͏͏ underscoring͏͏ the͏͏ importance͏͏ of͏͏ innovation͏͏ in͏͏ this͏͏ field.
Sagar͏͏ Singh,͏͏ Joint͏͏ Director͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ Chemical͏͏ Department͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ Bureau͏͏ of͏͏ Indian͏͏ Standards͏͏ (BIS)͏͏ under͏͏ the͏͏ Ministry͏͏ of͏͏ Consumer͏͏ Affairs,͏͏ Food͏͏ &͏͏ Public͏͏ Distribution,͏͏ Government͏͏ of͏͏ India,͏͏ stated,͏͏ “At͏͏ the͏͏ Food͏͏ Safety͏͏ and͏͏ Standards͏͏ Authority͏͏ of͏͏ India͏͏ (FSSAI)͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ Bureau͏͏ of͏͏ Indian͏͏ Standards͏͏ (BIS),͏͏ our͏͏ goal͏͏ is͏͏ to͏͏ establish͏͏ industry-friendly͏͏ regulations͏͏ that͏͏ improve͏͏ operational͏͏ efficiency.͏͏ Recent͏͏ updates͏͏ to͏͏ packaging͏͏ and͏͏ labeling͏͏ regulations͏͏ at͏͏ FSSAI,͏͏ along͏͏ with͏͏ our͏͏ commitment͏͏ to͏͏ aligning͏͏ Indian͏͏ standards͏͏ with͏͏ international͏͏ benchmarks,͏͏ are͏͏ significant͏͏ initiatives.͏͏ As͏͏ we͏͏ revise͏͏ food͏͏ packaging͏͏ standards,͏͏ we͏͏ expect͏͏ that͏͏ the͏͏ quality͏͏ of͏͏ Indian͏͏ food͏͏ products͏͏ will͏͏ not͏͏ only͏͏ meet͏͏ but͏͏ potentially͏͏ exceed͏͏ global͏͏ standards͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ near͏͏ future.”
Prasad͏͏ Balan͏͏ Iyer,͏͏ Director͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ SIES͏͏ (South͏͏ Indian͏͏ Education͏͏ Society)͏͏ School͏͏ of͏͏ Packaging,͏͏ remarked,͏͏ “India͏͏ has͏͏ emerged͏͏ as͏͏ the͏͏ third-largest͏͏ packaging͏͏ market͏͏ globally,͏͏ surpassing͏͏ Japan,͏͏ with͏͏ the͏͏ industry͏͏ now͏͏ valued͏͏ at͏͏ over͏͏ USD͏͏ 86͏͏ billion.͏͏ The͏͏ global͏͏ packaging͏͏ market,͏͏ worth͏͏ more͏͏ than͏͏ USD͏͏ 1͏͏ trillion,͏͏ is͏͏ driven͏͏ by͏͏ sectors͏͏ such͏͏ as͏͏ e-commerce,͏͏ food͏͏ delivery,͏͏ pharmaceuticals,͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ food͏͏ industry,͏͏ particularly͏͏ in͏͏ major͏͏ cities͏͏ like͏͏ Bangalore͏͏ and͏͏ Mumbai.͏͏ Packaging͏͏ is͏͏ essential͏͏ for͏͏ food͏͏ safety,͏͏ extending͏͏ shelf͏͏ life,͏͏ and͏͏ enhancing͏͏ India’s͏͏ export͏͏ competitiveness.͏͏ In͏͏ 2023,͏͏ the͏͏ country’s͏͏ packaged͏͏ food͏͏ sector͏͏ reached͏͏ a͏͏ market͏͏ size͏͏ of͏͏ USD͏͏ 2.8͏͏ billion,͏͏ with͏͏ projections͏͏ indicating͏͏ it͏͏ will͏͏ grow͏͏ to͏͏ USD͏͏ 6.4͏͏ billion͏͏ by͏͏ 2029.͏͏ This͏͏ growth͏͏ reflects͏͏ changing͏͏ consumer͏͏ preferences͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ increasing͏͏ demand͏͏ for͏͏ convenient,͏͏ ready-to-eat͏͏ options͏͏ in͏͏ one͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ world’s͏͏ most͏͏ populous͏͏ countries.”
He͏͏ added,͏͏ “As͏͏ a͏͏ key͏͏ partner͏͏ of͏͏ ProPak͏͏ India,͏͏ we͏͏ are͏͏ committed͏͏ to͏͏ promoting͏͏ sustainable͏͏ solutions,͏͏ fostering͏͏ a͏͏ circular͏͏ economy,͏͏ and͏͏ equipping͏͏ skilled͏͏ professionals͏͏ to͏͏ meet͏͏ the͏͏ industry’s͏͏ evolving͏͏ demands.”
Chakravarthi͏͏ AVPS,͏͏ Global͏͏ Ambassador͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ World͏͏ Packaging͏͏ Organisation,͏͏ stated,͏͏ “India’s͏͏ growing͏͏ economy͏͏ is͏͏ set͏͏ to͏͏ gain͏͏ a͏͏ significant͏͏ boost͏͏ from͏͏ its͏͏ food͏͏ and͏͏ agriculture͏͏ sector,͏͏ projected͏͏ to͏͏ become͏͏ a͏͏ vital͏͏ contributor.͏͏ Platforms͏͏ like͏͏ FI͏͏ India͏͏ and͏͏ ProPak͏͏ India͏͏ are͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ forefront͏͏ of͏͏ this͏͏ transformation,͏͏ serving͏͏ as͏͏ dynamic͏͏ convergence͏͏ points͏͏ for͏͏ innovators͏͏ and͏͏ stakeholders.͏͏ Notably,͏͏ India’s͏͏ packaging͏͏ industry͏͏ has͏͏ already͏͏ exceeded͏͏ USD͏͏ 85͏͏ billion,͏͏ while͏͏ the͏͏ global͏͏ market͏͏ has͏͏ reached͏͏ USD͏͏ 1.05͏͏ trillion,͏͏ underscoring͏͏ the͏͏ essential͏͏ role͏͏ of͏͏ sustainable͏͏ and͏͏ customer-centric͏͏ packaging͏͏ in͏͏ shaping͏͏ the͏͏ future͏͏ of͏͏ food͏͏ processing͏͏ and͏͏ nutrition.͏͏
Furthermore,͏͏ the͏͏ evolution͏͏ of͏͏ machinery͏͏ and͏͏ processing͏͏ technologies,͏͏ which͏͏ previously͏͏ depended͏͏ on͏͏ imports,͏͏ is͏͏ now͏͏ flourishing͏͏ due͏͏ to͏͏ domestic͏͏ advancements.͏͏ These͏͏ developments͏͏ are͏͏ vital͏͏ for͏͏ extending͏͏ shelf͏͏ life,͏͏ enhancing͏͏ food͏͏ safety,͏͏ and͏͏ reinforcing͏͏ India’s͏͏ position͏͏ as͏͏ a͏͏ key͏͏ player͏͏ in͏͏ global͏͏ exports.”
Rajeshwar͏͏ S.͏͏ Matche,͏͏ Head͏͏ and͏͏ Chief͏͏ Scientist͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ Department͏͏ of͏͏ Food͏͏ Packaging͏͏ Technology,͏͏ Central͏͏ Food͏͏ Technological͏͏ Research͏͏ Institute͏͏ (CSIR),͏͏ Mysuru,͏͏ Karnataka,͏͏ stated,͏͏ “Innovative͏͏ advancements͏͏ in͏͏ active͏͏ smart͏͏ packaging͏͏ systems͏͏ and͏͏ global͏͏ processing͏͏ trends͏͏ are͏͏ crucial͏͏ for͏͏ shaping͏͏ the͏͏ future͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ food͏͏ packaging͏͏ industry.͏͏ As͏͏ sustainability͏͏ becomes͏͏ a͏͏ priority,͏͏ addressing͏͏ degradation͏͏ issues͏͏ is͏͏ essential͏͏ for͏͏ developing͏͏ packaging͏͏ solutions͏͏ that͏͏ are͏͏ both͏͏ effective͏͏ and͏͏ environmentally͏͏ responsible.͏͏ It͏͏ is͏͏ vital͏͏ that͏͏ packaging͏͏ adheres͏͏ to͏͏ stringent͏͏ safety͏͏ standards͏͏ for͏͏ human͏͏ consumption.”
He͏͏ added,͏͏ “The͏͏ involvement͏͏ of͏͏ diverse͏͏ experts͏͏ from͏͏ esteemed͏͏ institutions͏͏ like͏͏ IIT͏͏ Delhi͏͏ and͏͏ IIT͏͏ Roorkee,͏͏ along͏͏ with͏͏ industry͏͏ leaders,͏͏ enhances͏͏ discussions͏͏ and͏͏ fosters͏͏ collaboration.͏͏ Moreover,͏͏ engaging͏͏ the͏͏ student͏͏ community͏͏ is͏͏ essential͏͏ for͏͏ bridging͏͏ the͏͏ gap͏͏ between͏͏ academia͏͏ and͏͏ industry,͏͏ paving͏͏ the͏͏ way͏͏ for͏͏ future͏͏ innovations.”
While͏͏ speaking͏͏ at͏͏ Fi͏͏ India͏͏ &͏͏ ProPak͏͏ India,͏͏ Yogesh͏͏ Mudras,͏͏ Managing͏͏ Director͏͏ of͏͏ Informa͏͏ Markets͏͏ in͏͏ India,͏͏ remarked,͏͏ “India’s͏͏ food͏͏ processing͏͏ sector͏͏ is͏͏ undergoing͏͏ a͏͏ significant͏͏ transformation,͏͏ bolstered͏͏ by͏͏ initiatives͏͏ like͏͏ the͏͏ Pradhan͏͏ Mantri͏͏ Kisan͏͏ Sampada͏͏ Yojana͏͏ (PMKSY),͏͏ which͏͏ ensures͏͏ an͏͏ efficient͏͏ farm-to-retail͏͏ infrastructure.͏͏ As͏͏ a͏͏ global͏͏ leader͏͏ in͏͏ food͏͏ production,͏͏ India͏͏ excels͏͏ in͏͏ spices,͏͏ producing͏͏ over͏͏ 11͏͏ million͏͏ tons͏͏ in͏͏ 2022-23.͏͏ Our͏͏ diverse͏͏ agro-climatic͏͏ conditions͏͏ facilitate͏͏ the͏͏ cultivation͏͏ of͏͏ cereals,͏͏ pulses,͏͏ and͏͏ vegetables.͏͏ The͏͏ rapid͏͏ growth͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ food͏͏ packaging͏͏ industry,͏͏ driven͏͏ by͏͏ convenience͏͏ and͏͏ sustainability,͏͏ is͏͏ evident͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ success͏͏ of͏͏ Fi͏͏ India͏͏ &͏͏ ProPak͏͏ India͏͏ 2024,͏͏ which͏͏ showcases͏͏ innovation͏͏ and͏͏ collaboration.”
“Bangalore͏͏ continues͏͏ to͏͏ be͏͏ a͏͏ key͏͏ market͏͏ thanks͏͏ to͏͏ its͏͏ robust͏͏ agritech͏͏ ecosystem͏͏ and͏͏ strategic͏͏ location͏͏ in͏͏ South͏͏ India,͏͏ positioning͏͏ it͏͏ as͏͏ an͏͏ ideal͏͏ hub͏͏ for͏͏ fostering͏͏ growth͏͏ in͏͏ food͏͏ processing͏͏ and͏͏ packaging,”͏͏ he͏͏ added.
Fi͏͏ India͏͏ &͏͏ ProPak͏͏ India͏͏ 2024͏͏ are͏͏ backed͏͏ by͏͏ prominent͏͏ industry͏͏ associations,͏͏ including͏͏ the͏͏ AFSTI-Mysuru͏͏ &͏͏ Bengaluru͏͏ Chapters͏͏ (Association͏͏ of͏͏ Food͏͏ Scientists͏͏ &͏͏ Technologists͏͏ India),͏͏ HADSA͏͏ (Health͏͏ Foods͏͏ and͏͏ Dietary͏͏ Supplements͏͏ Association),͏͏ CASMB,͏͏ IBA͏͏ AIFPA͏͏ (All͏͏ India͏͏ Food͏͏ Processors’͏͏ Association),͏͏ SIES͏͏ (South͏͏ Indian͏͏ Education͏͏ Society),͏͏ and͏͏ ASPA͏͏ (Authentication͏͏ Solution͏͏ Providers’͏͏ Association).͏͏ Their͏͏ support͏͏ enhances͏͏ the͏͏ event’s͏͏ significance͏͏ and͏͏ impact͏͏ within͏͏ the͏͏ industry.
The͏͏ event͏͏ featured͏͏ prominent͏͏ exhibitors͏͏ such͏͏ as͏͏ Brenntag͏͏ Ingredients͏͏ India͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ IMCD,͏͏ Synthite͏͏ Industries͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ K.P.͏͏ Manish͏͏ Global͏͏ Ingredients͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ Novasol͏͏ Ingredients͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ Azelis͏͏ (India)͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ Symega͏͏ Food͏͏ Ingredients͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ Norex͏͏ Flavours͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ Fillpack͏͏ Technology,͏͏ Glatt͏͏ (India)͏͏ Engineering͏͏ Pvt͏͏ Ltd,͏͏ Hilda͏͏ Automation,͏͏ and͏͏ Starpac,͏͏ among͏͏ others,͏͏ highlighting͏͏ the͏͏ latest͏͏ innovations͏͏ and͏͏ solutions͏͏ in͏͏ food͏͏ and͏͏ packaging͏͏ technology.
