Overview
Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal addressed stakeholders at the 40th edition of AAHAR in New Delhi. He urged collective action to make India the world’s largest exporter of agricultural and processed foods, leveraging recent FTAs and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
Key Developments
- India’s food‑agri exports now total nearly ₹5 lakh crore (≈ USD 55 bn) annually, placing the country as the **seventh‑largest** global exporter.
- From 2014‑2025, processed‑food exports rose fourfold; fruit and pulse exports **tripled**; cereal exports **doubled**; rice exports grew **62 %**.
- India has signed **nine FTAs** in the last 3½ years, granting preferential market access to **38 developed nations** and covering about **two‑thirds of global trade**.
- Sensitive sectors such as **dairy** and **genetically modified (GM) products** remain protected; no concessions were offered to foreign producers.
- The government encourages utilisation of the **₹1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund** for food‑processing and value‑addition ventures.
- Italy was announced as the partner country for this edition of AAHAR, fostering bilateral collaboration in food and hospitality.
Important Facts
The minister highlighted that FTAs have been negotiated with EFTA members (Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland), New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Korea, ASEAN nations, Oman, UAE, Mauritius, and ongoing talks with Canada and the GCC bloc. He stressed that these agreements provide **near‑zero or very low duties** on many Indian agri‑food products, especially in Europe.
Protection measures include safeguarding key commodities—**rice, wheat, maize, soy‑meal, pulses**—and limiting sugar imports to shield domestic sugarcane farmers. The emphasis on protecting MSMEs, fishermen and farmers ensures that trade liberalisation does not compromise domestic livelihoods.
Exam Relevance
Understanding India’s export strategy is vital for GS 3 (Economy) – it illustrates how trade policy, sectoral protection, and infrastructure funding intersect to boost growth. The focus on **Made in India** branding links to GS 4 (Ethics) – promoting national identity while ensuring equitable benefits for small producers. The minister’s reference to the “food basket of the world” aligns with discussions on food security and agricultural self‑sufficiency, a recurring theme in GS 2 (Polity) when analysing government schemes and policy implementation.
Way Forward
Stakeholders are urged to:
- Leverage the AIF for setting up processing units and cold‑chain logistics.
- Explore market opportunities in the **38 FTA partner countries**, focusing on products with preferential duty rates.
- Collaborate with Italian firms and other international partners to adopt best practices in food safety, packaging, and hospitality services.
- Engage with the Export Promotion Mission, DGFT and related agencies for export‑related hand‑holding and compliance support.
By integrating domestic strengths with global market access, India can aim for the top spot in agri‑food exports, enhance farmer incomes, and reinforce the “Made in India” brand worldwide.