'Processed food isn’t junk': Chirag Paswan urges mindset shift, pitches India as global food basket

At the curtain raiser for World Food India 2025, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan took direct aim at what he called a “false narrative” around processed foods, urging a national mindset shift. He made a strong pitch to reposition India not just as an agricultural powerhouse, but as the “global food basket” through aggressive expansion of the food processing industry.

Paswan also framed processing as the triple-solve to India’s rural economy challenges: a boost for farmer incomes, new jobs for the youth & rural employment, and higher per capita incomes. “This is about economic strength, for farmers, for youth, and for the country. Processed food is not just about convenience. It’s about livelihoods.”

India’s food processing industry has seen steady momentum. The sector attracted $7.33 billion in FDI equity inflow over the past decade, grew at an average rate of 6.55% annually between FY15 and FY24, and now contributes 7.93% to the gross value added (GVA) in manufacturing as of FY24. But Paswan pointed out that India still processes less than 10% of its total food production — an underperformance he sees as a structural opportunity given the country’s agri-dominant economy.

The minister pushed back against “misleading social media commentary” equating all processed food with junk food, calling for public understanding of value-added, nutrient-safe processing. “Processing doesn’t mean reducing quality. It’s about adding value and extending shelf life while maintaining safety,” he said.

He also called upon regulatory bodies to make sure that “whatever food item is processed in your table, it is definitely not harmful to your health”.

In FY25, processed food made up 20.4% (worth $10.09 billion) of India’s total agri-food exports, up from 13.7% ($4.96 billion) in FY15. Paswan said the goal is to place at least one Indian food product on “every dining table in the world”.

Avinash Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, highlighted the sector’s significant contribution to GVA and its leadership in the processing of milk, millets, and pulses. Emphasising the importance of inclusive platforms like World Food India 2025, he announced thematic technology showcases, buyer-seller meets, and CEO round tables to foster global collaboration, innovation, and investment.

World Food India 2025, scheduled for September in Delhi, aims to be a global pitch platform for investors, startups, and food tech innovators. The event will also include dialogues on regulatory reforms and incubation support, especially for youth and agri-entrepreneurs, with Paswan reaffirming support for expanding NIFTEM’s reach in India.