World Food India 2025: Chirag Paswan sees India as future global food basket, emphasises GST relief

At the press briefing ahead of the fourth edition of World Food India (WFI) 2025, scheduled from September 25-28 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan said that GST relief had been a long-standing demand from stakeholders in the food processing sector. 

“It’s been more than a year since I took charge of this ministry, and every time I met industry leaders, the first concern was the need for relief in GST. It gives me great joy that today most items under my ministry are either at 5% or 0%,” he said. The move, announced ahead of the festive season, is “a big relief for citizens and a reform that will strengthen India’s economy in the coming days.”

The four-day event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Paswan, and Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu.

The minister also pointed to the problem of post-harvest losses, calling them a major area of concern. He stressed that better processing and value addition could not only help farmers financially but also make Indian food products competitive in global markets.

At the briefing, Paswan launched a publication titled 'Frequently Asked Questions on Different Concepts of Food Processing', prepared with industry inputs. The guide aims to counter common myths about processed foods.

 “There is a misconception that if something is processed, it is harmful. This is wrong. Processing is about value addition and improving quality. Today, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook varieties offer quality at par or better than home-cooked meals. But social media often spreads misinformation without scientific basis,” he said.

He urged companies to be transparent about ingredients and nutritional values, noting that informed choices were key to addressing rising health concerns such as obesity.

World Food India 2025 will see participation from over 21 countries, 21 Indian states and UTs, 10 central ministries and 5 allied government organisations. The event is built on five themes - sustainability and net zero food processing; India as a global hub; frontiers in technology and packaging; food for nutrition, health and wellness; and livestock and marine products for the rural economy.

Paswan expressed confidence that this year’s edition would surpass previous ones in terms of technology exchange, innovations and partnerships. “World Food India has become a strong step in connecting India’s domestic market with the global market,” he said.