The government is working on a marketing strategy to further diversify India’s overall export basket, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Thursday.
He also said that the government was planning to introduce specific measures to ensure that India became the Food and Beverages (F&B) trading hub in South East Asia.
He was speaking after inaugurating ‘Indus Food’, a mega international F&B trade show held in Greater Noida in the national capital region. “We are in the process of adopting a new strategy to diversify our exports. We want to ensure that India exports new products and to new markets. We are preparing a marketing strategy based on market research. We will support private sector... we will identify roadblocks and address them,” he said.
More than 400 exhibitors, including 12 states as well as global buyers from 43 nations are taking part in the event that is aimed at providing a robust platform to Indian exporters to access global market without having the trouble of going to overseas trade fairs.
Mr. Prabhu said, “My ministry has plans to introduce measures with a view to further facilitate the trade in this (F&B) sector’s products. The government has established 60 fully equipped agri-export zones, in addition to 42 mega food parks and 128 cold chains, to boost agricultural and food processing exports... there is a great potential to conduct business in India as the centre of South East Asia as a trading hub in F&B sector.”
Trade Promotion Council of India is being supported by the Department of Commerce in hosting the event billed as the largest buyer-seller meet in the food segment in India.
On the government’s efforts to increase farmer’s income, Shri Prabhu said, “Agri-product export strategy will change the export scenario in the country. Not only will it double the farmers income, but also give them a choice of so many buyers to sell their produce. I’m sure it will benefit all farmers, whether big or small. Indus Food is a very good step in that direction.”
