Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the fourth edition of World Food India (WFI) 2025 on Thursday, September 25 at Bharat Mandapam. The four-day global food and agribusiness event, scheduled from 25 to 28 September will host over 1,700 exhibitors, more than 500 international buyers and delegations from 100 countries, making it the largest gathering of stakeholders in India’s food processing sector.
Global focus and partner nations
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has confirmed that New Zealand and Saudi Arabia will participate as partner countries while Russia, Japan, the UAE and Vietnam are focus countries this year. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev will attend the opening session alongside Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Chirag Paswan.
The event will also see the participation of 21 countries, 21 Indian states and Union Territories and 10 central ministries with pavilions showcasing regional strengths, international collaborations and investment opportunities.
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Priorities for industry and policy
Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan said World Food India is more than a trade fair, positioning India as a global hub for food innovation, investment and sustainability. He added that while India produces enough food, the country is yet to fully develop its processing capacity.
Ahead of the event, Paswan released a publication titled ‘Frequently Asked Questions on Different Concepts of Food Processing’ and announced steps to regulate misleading advertisements in processed foods. Industry players have been instructed to clearly display content and expiry details on packaging and work towards healthier product variants.
Farmers, technology and post-harvest focus
The agenda of WFI 2025 is anchored around five pillars: sustainability and net-zero food processing, India as a global processing hub, frontier technologies, nutrition and health through processed food and livestock and fisheries to strengthen the rural economy.
Organisers said the focus on post-harvest processing will help reduce agricultural losses and improve farmers’ incomes. Dedicated pavilions will feature innovations in technology, pet food, seafood and start-ups, with sessions tailored for young entrepreneurs.
The event will also host the Global Food Regulators Summit, organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to advance harmonisation of food safety norms. In parallel, the 24th India International Seafood Show, led by the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) will highlight the potential of India’s marine exports.
Other platforms include a reverse buyer-seller meet organised by APEDA, with the participation of over 1,000 buyers, and curated knowledge sessions and CEO roundtables involving more than 100 global agri-food leaders.
India’s vision as global food basket
Prime Minister Modi has described WFI 2025 as a strategic platform to advance India’s ambition of becoming the “food basket of the world”.
