Palatable Paradigms
IndusFood 2023, organized by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) under the Department of Commerce, Government of India, and held for the first time in Telangana at HITEX Exhibition Center, Hyderabad, from January 8-10, was a success. It showcased the F&B industry’s latest products and trends and redefined networking to help the sector expand globally.
In its sixth edition, the South Asia region’s most comprehensive F&B marketplace showcased F&B products, F&B processing, and packaging technology in a 23,000 sq mt exhibition area. Indusfood is dedicated to inspiring, exciting, and connecting the global F&B industry, focusing more on showcasing new brands and technologies to a broader range of buyers.
The Driving Force
“Indusfood was conceived to create a direct link between Indian food exporters and buyers from global food markets, as well as branding India as a sourcing bowl by connecting global buyers with Indian food suppliers of demanding products in the heart of the country under a single roof,” said Sandip Das, Deputy Director General, TPCI. “Since its inception in 2018, the vision has always been to inspire, connect, learn, and collaborate.”
Stating that Indusfood fuels the F&B business by facilitating connections between buyers and brands through outstanding services such as the international hosted buyer program and online matchmaking programs, bridging relationships and strengthening ties, he commented, “Additionally, buyers have opportunities to learn network and conduct business with new and returning exhibiting suppliers.”
Step Up from the Prior Edition
Millets were the ‘Spotlight Product Category’ at Indusfood 2023, commemorating the International Year of Millets 2023, which the UN General Assembly declared in response to a request by India, which wants to position itself as a global hub for millets. This year, the event featured 600+ exhibiting companies, 16 product zones, globally hosted buyers from more than 85 countries, 35,000+ pre-scheduled meetings, and over 10 knowledge sessions by industry experts. “Startups focused more on health-conscious ingredients which catered to both health and taste. Even veganism witnessed a massive response in Indusfood,” asserted Das.
Many vegan ready-to-eat snacks, frozen foods, and ice creams were featured on the show. Das added, “As witnessed, ready-to-eat snacks increased this year as people prefer less time-consuming filing options. The ready-to-eat options were also budget-friendly and healthy. One of the major features of this year is the presence of mainstream buyers in large numbers, which have historically been a critical challenge for Indian exporters.”
Speaking of trends, Das elaborated, “One of the most critical and disruptive trends we are witnessing today is the growing focus towards a circular economy and sustainability in the F&B value chain, which encompasses economic, social, and environmental sustainability. In addition to penetrating established and emerging markets, Indusfood has brought institutional buyers from the world’s remotest corners, like French Guinea, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Reunion, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sint Maarten, Syria, Togo, and Turkmenistan. Given these developments, Indusfood is committed to educating our food processors to adopt more sustainability and commitment to a circular economy in their operations going forward.”
HITEX-Vantage
The Indusfood 2023 is the sixth edition in a row and the first-ever show in Telangana; its previous five editions were held at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida. Given the Indian market’s strong growth potential, the newest edition concentrated on domestic F&B opportunities. “We wanted to shift the Indusfood to southern India to include the South Indian food processing industry, which was largely missing in the previous five editions,” revealed Das. “HITEX appeared
to be an ideal venue for Indusfood out of all venues available in South India for various reasons, the most prominent
of which are the venue’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, proximity to the city and hotels, and cooperation of the HITEX management.”
Leaving a Good Impact
Indusfood has provided a dedicated and robust platform in the Indian F&B industry for expanding its horizons in the international market. It has become an accelerator for the strong growth of Indian processed food products by ensuring a direct linkage between the exporters and the buyers. “Also, this edition has been phenomenal as we saw the presence of mainstream buyers in large numbers, which has been quite a critical challenge for Indian exporters,” elaborated Das. “After setting a new benchmark through excellence in export promotion, Indusfood is ready to commit itself to a much grander vision.”
With the growth of Indusfood, India’s F&B community has only grown more extensive by the day.
“We wanted to shift the Indusfood to southern India to include the South Indian food processing industry, largely missing in the previous five editions. HITEX appeared to be an ideal venue for Indusfood out of all venues available in South India for various reasons, the most prominent of which are the venue’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, proximity to the city and hotels, and cooperation of the HITEX management.”
Deputy Director General
Trade Promotion Council of India
Indusfood 2023 attracted 600+ exhibiting companies, 16 product zones, globally hosted buyers from more than 85 countries, 35,000+ pre-scheduled meetings, and over 10 knowledge sessions by industry experts. Millets were the ‘Spotlight Product Category’ at the event commemorating the International Year of Millets 2023.