Industry, govt must work on indigenous food processing machinery: Official

While agri production and exports remain high, the country still depends on imported machinery for food processing, pointed out Devesh Deval, joint secretary in the food processing ministry

India must develop indigenous capacities in food processing equipment manufacturing to reduce its reliance on imports, even as it aims to harness its agricultural advantage to become a global hub in food processing, a senior government official said on Thursday.

 

"Despite our success in production and exports, we remain heavily dependent on imported food processing machinery. It is crucial that the industry and government work together to build domestic capabilities and improve quality and scale," said Devesh Deval, joint secretary, ministry of food processing industries, at the National Conference on Food Tech organised by Assocham.

 

Deval underlined the need to channel India’s agricultural strengths into a leadership role in food processing by embracing cutting-edge technologies. "We welcome inputs from stakeholders and are open to facilitating broader consultations to identify concrete, actionable steps. What matters is taking timely and measurable action to strengthen every link in the food processing value chain," he said.

   

During the conference, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched a national stakeholder consultation portal aimed at gathering inputs to develop more inclusive and implementable food regulations.

 

Alka Rao, advisor (science & standards & regulations), FSSAI, highlighted the need for synergy between regulation and technological advancement. She stressed the significance of establishing structured, accessible databases and advocated for the responsible deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, ensuring careful consideration of bias and data limitations. 

 

“FSSAI is already taking concrete steps to integrate technology in regulatory processes,” said Rao, calling on government bodies, industry participants, experts, and MSMEs to jointly create data-driven, tech-enabled food safety mechanisms.

 

Sudhanshu, secretary at the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), spoke about both the opportunities and hurdles within India’s food processing landscape.

 

Referring to successful traceability models in grapes, organic products, and millets, he stressed the urgency of adopting technologies like AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced packaging solutions to boost food safety and export preparedness.

 

Vivek Chandra, chairman, Food Processing and Value Addition Council, ASSOCHAM, said the future of food security depends not just on production but on how food is processed, preserved, packaged and distributed. Against the backdrop of climate change and supply chain disruptions, he highlighted the critical role of next-generation technologies in driving efficiency, safety and sustainability.

 

A joint knowledge report by ASSOCHAM and PwC was also released at the conference.

 

(With inputs from PTI)