Centre focusing on growth of food processing, hopes for more steps in Budget: Chirag Paswan

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday said the government has taken several steps to boost the food processing sector and hoped that further measures will be taken in the upcoming Budget.

Paswan, who is Minister of Food Processing Industries, inaugurated Indusfood 2026 at Expo Mart, Greater Noida. Indusfood is Asia’s premier food and beverage trade show.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the minister noted that the government announced many initiatives to strengthen the food processing sector in the last year's budget.

A new National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) was announced in the 2025 Budget which would come up in Bihar, he added.

"The central government, under the leadership of Prime minister Narendra Modi, has focused on the food processing sector. Being minister of this sector, I have lot of expectation from this year's Budget," Paswan said, and hoped that the 2026 Budget would fulfil people's expectation.

According to an official statement, the minister said that the food processing sector presents huge business opportunities and the government is supporting entrepreneurs who are entering this field.

"The mere fact that Government of India has a separate ministry for the food processing sector underlines the importance accorded to the sector. We are trying to be a bridge between the government and industry," Paswan said.

India is a food surplus country and now there is a need to "convert this volume into value", he added.

"We all know the strength of the sector and the untapped potential of India to be the global food basket; the need is to now channelize the resources," Paswan said.

The ministry is supporting more and more entrepreneurs to enter this field, he added.

Schemes like PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, etc. are helping both farmers and the industry.

Paswan said that National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management scope will be extended to cover more states.

"Government is behind the food processing industry with unwavering support and will do anything for a supportive policy matter, such as ease of doing business," the minister said.

Paswan said that he took up the high GST rate on the food processing sector with the GST Council, which got addressed through recent reforms and the tax was reduced to 5 per cent or nil.

The minister appealed to all brands to open their R&D centres in India.

Abhishek Dev, Chairman APEDA; Mohit Singla, Chairman, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), were also present on the occasion.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has launched an initiative to support agri-food and agri-tech startups, aimed at promoting innovation and creating new export opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

TPCI Chairman Singla highlighted the scale of Indusfood 2026, bringing together over 2,200 exhibitors from 30+ countries across 125,000 sq. metres, with 15,000+ buyers from more than 120 countries. PTI MJH MJH ANU ANU