“In 2022-23, the sector accounted for 7.66 per cent of the GVA (Gross Value Added) in manufacturing at 2011-12 prices,” Thiagarajan, also the Managing Director of air-conditioners and commercial refrigerators maker Blue Star Ltd said in a press release on Thursday.
“In terms of employment, the sector employs almost 2 million workers in nearly 41,500 registered units. With a market size of USD 866 billion in 2022, the food industry will play a vital role in the economy growth.
CII Tamil Nadu Chairman Srivats Ram said currently India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, banana, mango, pomegranate, papaya, lemon, non-food crops like cotton and jute.
During 2023-24, India produced 304.4 million tonnes of cereals, 296 million tonnes of pulses, 351.9 million tonnes of horticulture, 230.6 million tonne of milk and 138.4 billion eggs, Ram also the Managing Director of steel wheels manufacturer Wheels India Ltd said.
Thiagarajan and Ram were here to announce the 15th edition of biennial event Foodpro scheduled to be held from August 9 at Chennai Trade Centre, here. The event on food processing, packaging and food technology would be held under the theme “Accelerating Growth Scale for food industries.” Tamil Nadu government is the host state for Foodpro 2024. The three-day event would have over 250 domestic and international exhibitors, sectoral conferences, B2B meetings, product launches and about 25,000 visitors and traders are expected to take part.
“CII Foodpro is an ideal platform for all stakeholders in this sector to showcase their products and technologies, the latest trends and to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities for the development of the sector,” Ram added.