New Delhi, Sept 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday inaugurate the World Food India (WFI) 2025, which will see the participation of more than 21 countries along with 21 Indian states and UTs, 10 Central Ministries and 5 allied government organisations, making it the largest congregation of stakeholders in India’s food processing sector.

New Zealand and Saudi Arabia are the partner countries, while Japan, Russia, the UAE, and Vietnam are the focus countries for WFI 2025 to be held from September 25 to 28 at the Bharat Mandapam here.

The inaugural session will be attended by Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan.

WFI 2025 will see the participation of over 1,700 exhibitors, more than 500 international buyers, and representatives from over 100 nations. Over 45 knowledge sessions, including thematic discussions, state and country-specific conferences, and CXO roundtables with more than 100 global agri-food leaders, will be held.

Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday highlighted how World Food India 2025 serves as a strategic platform for India to become a global food basket.

PM Modi was responding on X to an article by Paswan, which states that the mega event is a powerful example of cooperative federalism, as 21 states and Union Territories will enrich the event, with pavilions highlighting regional strengths.

Paswan has further stated that WFI runs on a whole-of-government engine. "While our ministry leads, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with ministries across the value chain like Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Fisheries, Commerce, DPIIT, Agriculture & Farmers’ welfare, Health & Family Welfare, AYUSH, DoNER and agencies under them so that production, standards, trade, and investment move in sync.

He highlighted that WFI’s agenda rests on five core pillars: sustainability and net-zero food processing; India as a global food processing hub; frontiers in food processing, products, and packaging technologies; processed food for nutrition and health; and livestock and marine products accelerating the rural economy. Each pillar is mapped to curated sessions, B2B meetings, and adoption pathways, so participation moves from discussion to deployment.

Alongside major exhibitions and B2B forums, the parallel events to be held at WFI 2025 include the 3rd Global Food Regulators Summit, organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to foster harmonisation of global food safety standards, and the 24th India International Seafood Show, organised by the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), to highlight India’s seafood export potential.

Besides, the APEDA’s reverse buyer-seller meet with the participation of over 1,000 buyers and special exhibitions will be on show at international pavilions, state and ministry pavilions, a Pet Food Pavilion, a Technology Pavilion, and a Start-up Innovation Pavilion.

(IANS)

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