By Krishna Dua 
PM Modi to Inaugurate World Food India 2025 Today
New Delhi, September 25, 2025 – In a significant boost to India’s burgeoning food processing sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the fourth edition of World Food India 2025 today at 6:15 PM at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan. This premier global food event, organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), will run from September 25 to 28, spanning an expansive 1,00,000 square meters and drawing participants from over 90 countries. With the theme “From Tradition to Transformation,” the conclave aims to showcase India’s rich culinary heritage while highlighting innovative, sustainable practices in food processing, startups, and global trade partnerships. PM Modi’s participation underscores the government’s commitment to elevating the sector’s contribution to the economy, targeting a $535 billion valuation by 2025 and generating 9.2 lakh jobs annually. As the event unfolds amid Delhi’s pleasant autumn weather—temperatures around 28°C and clear skies—the inauguration promises to be a pivotal moment, featuring keynote addresses, live demonstrations, and B2B meetings projected to generate ₹15,000 crore in investment leads. Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Piyush Goyal, who will join the PM, emphasized, “World Food India 2025 is India’s invitation to the world to partner in our journey from farm to global market.” For a nation where agriculture employs 45% of the workforce and food processing adds just 1.7% to GDP, this edition— the largest yet— isn’t merely an expo; it’s an economic engine, blending tradition’s flavors with transformation’s fire to propel India toward self-reliance and sustainability.
World Food India, conceived as a biennial platform to revolutionize India’s food processing industry, has grown exponentially since its inaugural edition in 2019. The event was born out of the need to address the sector’s untapped potential—despite India being the world’s second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, over 40% goes to waste due to inadequate processing infrastructure, according to a 2024 NITI Aayog report. The first edition, inaugurated by PM Modi in Greater Noida, drew 500 international buyers and facilitated ₹3,500 crore in business leads, setting the stage for a surge in investments. The 2021 virtual iteration, necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, connected 1,000 startups with global investors, while the 2023 physical revival in Delhi under the theme “Global Food Value Chains” secured ₹10,000 crore in Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 20 countries. For 2025, the shift to Bharat Mandapam—a LEED Gold-certified venue symbolizing India’s green aspirations—reflects the event’s evolution toward sustainability, with 100% solar-powered pavilions and zero-waste kitchens transforming food scraps into innovative products like banana peel chips. Organized under the aegis of MoFPI, led by Secretary Anita Praveen, the event aligns with PM Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, emphasizing how the sector can boost exports to $20 billion annually and create jobs for rural youth. As September 25 dawns with over 800 exhibitors and 1,000 international delegates, World Food India isn’t an annual affair—it’s a biennial beacon, illuminating India’s path from agricultural abundance to processed prosperity.
The 2025 Theme: “From Tradition to Transformation”
The theme “From Tradition to Transformation” for World Food India 2025 encapsulates the event’s dual focus on honoring India’s ancient culinary wisdom while propelling it into the future through technological and sustainable innovations. Rooted in Ayurveda’s principles of balance and the Vedic emphasis on ahimsa (non-violence), the theme highlights how traditional practices like millet farming—championed as “Shree Anna” in the 2023 National Food Security Act—can combat climate change, with millets requiring 70% less water than rice, as per ICAR’s 2024 study. Transformation comes via modern marvels: AI-driven supply chains reducing post-harvest losses by 30%, and blockchain traceability ensuring ethical sourcing for global markets. Minister Goyal, in a pre-event briefing on September 24, elaborated, “This theme bridges our 5,000-year-old heritage with 21st-century tech, turning tradition into a $535 billion transformation by 2025.” The theme’s rollout includes dedicated pavilions: One showcasing 100 heritage recipes from states like Odisha’s Poda Pitha to Kerala’s Appam, another demoing drone deliveries for remote farms. With 40% of stalls led by women self-help groups (SHGs) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, the theme empowers marginalized voices, projecting 9.2 lakh jobs. “From Tradition to Transformation” isn’t a slogan—it’s a strategy, weaving yesterday’s recipes with tomorrow’s revolutions.
PM Modi’s Inaugural Address: A Call for Global Partnerships
PM Narendra Modi’s 20-minute inaugural speech at 6:15 PM today is expected to be a clarion call for global partnerships, building on his 2019 vision of “Food Processing as India’s Next Sunrise Sector.” Since assuming office in 2014, Modi has channeled ₹5,000 crore into the sector via the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), creating 5 lakh jobs and doubling exports to $10 billion by 2024. His address, delivered from the main stage amid a backdrop of millet mandalas and spice sculptures, will unveil the “Food for All” initiative—a ₹10,000 crore fund for cold chain infrastructure in 100 aspirational districts, aiming to cut wastage from 40% to 10% by 2030. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2025 allocation of ₹2,500 crore for millet promotion aligns seamlessly, with Modi likely emphasizing “Shree Anna” as a climate-resilient superfood that could feed 1.4 billion while combating desertification in Rajasthan’s arid belts.
Modi’s speech, crafted by MoFPI’s policy team and vetted by the PMO, will spotlight success stories: How PMKSY’s mega food parks in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have empowered 50,000 farmers, generating ₹5,000 crore in turnover. He is expected to announce a $1 billion US-India cold chain pact, with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as chief guest, and an ASEAN millet exchange program to boost intra-regional trade to $5 billion. “India’s food story is one of abundance and aspiration,” Modi may intone, echoing his 2023 G20 mantra of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” The address, live-streamed on MyGov and YouTube to 10 million viewers, isn’t oratory alone—it’s outreach, forging partnerships that could add $50 billion to the economy by 2030.
Global Gastronomic Gathering: 1,000 Delegates from 90 Countries
World Food India 2025’s global gathering is a gastronomic grandstand, with 1,000 delegates from 90 countries converging on Pragati Maidan for B2B meets projected to ink ₹15,000 crore in MoUs. US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, leading a 50-member delegation, headlines with a keynote on “Sustainable Supply Chains,” highlighting a $1 billion cold chain pact with India. EU Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius represents the bloc, focusing on “Green Food Tech” and a €500 million grant for organic farming. ASEAN’s Dr. Phiphatpong Nantasri from Thailand chairs the regional pavilion, eyeing a $2 billion millet trade deal.
Delegates? Diverse—Japan’s Kampo experts demo herbology fusions, Brazil’s SUS public health officials explore Triphala integrations. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)’s 2025 report, launched September 26, projects $50 billion export growth from such synergies. Gathering? Global—gastronomy’s grand guarantor.
Startup Symphony: 500 Innovators and the Grand Challenge
Symphony startups: 500 innovators showcase—Kerala’s jackfruit leather (₹50 lakh turnover 2024) to Rajasthan’s millet beer (export-ready). Grand Challenge, NITI Aayog’s Amitabh Kant judging, awards ₹5 crore seed to 50— “AI Agri” apps 90% yield prediction. Symphony? Stellar—innovation’s symphony.
Sustainable Spotlight: Zero-Waste Kitchens and Herbal Harmony
Spotlight sustainable: 100% solar pavilions, zero-waste kitchens upcycle peels—banana chips 30% waste reduction IIT Delhi 2025. Herbal harmony: National Medicinal Plants Board conserves 1,200 species, Ashwagandha farms 10 tons CO2/hectare. Spotlight? Sustainable—Earth’s embrace.
Cultural Carnival: Live Demos and Folk Flavors
Carnival cultural: Live demos—Bengali rasgulla to Punjabi sarson saag—folk fusions Bihu biryani beats. Demos? Delightful—carnival’s confluence.
Economic Engine: ₹15,000 Cr Deals and Job Juggernaut
Engine economic: ₹15,000 crore MoUs, 9.2 lakh jobs—SHGs 40% stalls Deendayal Yojana. Juggernaut? Jobs—$20 billion exports target.
World Food India 2025: A Legacy of Legacy
September 25, 2025, legacy World Food India’s—Modi’s inauguration global gathering startup spotlight sustainable cultural economic. Legacy? Luminous—India’s food odyssey onward.