India Secures Record Rs 1.02 Lakh Crore Investment in Food Processing Sector
India has made a historic leap in the food processing industry, securing investment commitments worth a staggering Rs 1.02 lakh crore during the World Food India 2025 summit held from September 25 to 28 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this four-day event attracted 26 leading domestic and global companies who signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), marking the largest investment announcement in the sector's history.
Major Corporate Commitments Powering Growth
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd emerged as the single largest investor with a commitment of Rs 40,000 crore to build integrated food manufacturing facilities across India. Their vision includes setting up "Asia's largest integrated food parks" equipped with AI-driven automation, robotics, and sustainable technologies, starting with plants in Katol, Maharashtra, and Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
Three Coca-Cola bottlers in India, including SLMG Beverages and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, together pledged Rs 25,760 crore for expanding infrastructure across nine states. Other key investors include Amul (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) with Rs 10,000 crore, Nestlé India, Tata Consumer Products, Carlsberg India, Dabur India, and Godrej Agrovet, showcasing the strong confidence of multinational and domestic players in India’s food processing potential.
Massive Employment and Economic Impact
These investments are projected to create direct employment opportunities for over 64,000 people and indirect jobs for more than 10 lakh individuals. Union Minister Chirag Paswan highlighted that job creation exceeding 900,000 is expected as projects begin rolling out this year and continue through 2030.
The investment spans across multiple food segments such as dairy, meat and poultry, packaged foods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, spices, confectionery, edible oils, fruits and vegetables, and ready-to-eat products. The projects will be geographically distributed across over 18 states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and the northeastern region, ensuring inclusive growth benefiting farmers, entrepreneurs, and local communities countrywide.
A Leap Towards India’s Vision for Food Processing
World Food India 2025 not only attracted record-breaking investments but also reaffirmed India’s position as a trusted global destination for food processing. The summit laid a strong foundation for sustainable growth, innovation, and international collaboration aimed at transforming India from a food-secure nation to a nutrition-secure one.
The impact of these landmark investments is expected to revolutionize India’s food value chain, promote modernization and automation in manufacturing, and catalyze the country's emergence as a global food processing hub, creating economic opportunities and contributing significantly to employment and agricultural prosperity