Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on March 10 said that India’s exports of food and agricultural products — including farm produce and fisheries — have reached nearly Rs 5 lakh crore (over $55 billion) annually, making the country the seventh largest exporter of agricultural produce in the world.
He also called upon stakeholders from the food, agriculture and hospitality sectors to work collectively towards making India the world’s largest exporter of agricultural and processed foods, highlighting the vast opportunities created by India’s expanding trade agreements and the growing global demand for the Indian products.
Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of the 40th edition of ‘AAHAR – The International Food &Hospitality Fair’ in the national capital, Goyal noted that over the past 11 years, from 2014 to 2025, India’s agri and food exports have witnessed significant growth. Exports of processed foods have increased fourfold, fruit and pulses exports have tripled, processed vegetable exports have quadrupled, cocoa exports have tripled, and cereal exports have doubled. Rice exports alone have grown by 62 per cent during this period.
Goyal said these achievements should inspire India to aspire for the top position globally in agricultural and processed food exports. He emphasised that the goal is achievable and aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India should become the “food basket of the world.”
Goyal highlighted that the nine Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) concluded by India over the past three and a half years have opened access to 38 developed and prosperous countries, providing vast market opportunities for Indian exporters. He added that India today has preferential market access covering nearly two-thirds of global trade, which strengthens India’s position as an attractive investment destination and enables Indian businesses to integrate into global value chains.
