SPAR India is at the forefront of many leading retail initiatives in the country and is now in talks with the Government of India (GoI) over several of its activities linked to its “Make in India” campaign, which encourages national and multi-national companies to manufacture their products in India.

Over the past three years, the Make in India campaign has provided the potential for attractive investments in the food processing sector. Some key policy interventions of the government include 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in food processing as well as 100% FDI in trading, with regards to food products manufactured or produced in India.

Following on from these interventions, the GoI’s Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), is organising ‘World Food India 2017’, an international event being held in New Delhi from 3-5 November, which aims to provide global businesses with the opportunity to explore India’s food retail market. The event is expected to bring together various stakeholders in the food processing sector, enabling them to become acquainted with opportunities and interact with potential investors, suppliers, buyers and joint venture partners.

In preparation for the event, MoFPI Minister, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal and other senior officials from the Ministry, attended a closed-door CEO’s meeting in August in Bengaluru. SPAR India MD & CEO, Rajeev Krishnan, and Senior Vice President (Food), Solai Sakthivel, were present at the meeting.

Mr Krishnan highlighted SPAR India’s initiatives during the meeting, which include three key points: The optimisation of the Farm-to-Fork value chain of fresh produce, the export of SPAR branded products made in India, and the focus on health & wellness categories. He reiterated SPAR India’s commitment to bettering the lives of farmers and promoting healthy food alternatives.