EU–India Bilateral Agri-Food Trade Set to Double to €10 Billion by 2032

Pune: India’s food processing industry is on a path to scale from its current 16–17 per cent processing level toward 25–30 per cent by 2030, backed by aggressive government formalization and infrastructure upgrades, industry honchos and trade officials said.

They emphasized that evolving consumer appetites, rising demand for healthy and premium foods, and the anticipated India–EU Free Trade Agreement will drive global joint ventures, lower tariffs, and potentially double bilateral agri-food trade to €10 billion by 2032.

“The Indian food processing industry is valued at over US$500 billion (estimated), with immense potential to convert India’s strong agricultural production into value-added products, improve quality and shelf life, and expand exports,” said J.P. Dongre, deputy agricultural marketing advisor & director at Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MOFPI).

The MOFPI is supporting micro, small, medium and large entrepreneurs with financial assistance for modern machinery, packaging infrastructure and cold-chain facilities, he said on the sidelines of the precursor event for Anuga Select India and Anuga FoodTec India 2026 in New Delhi.

Anuga Select India 2026 and Anuga FoodTec India 2026, to be held from 29 September 29 to October 1, 2026 at the BEC in Mumbai. The flagship co-located trade fairs serve as a premier B2B marketplace bringing together manufacturers, global suppliers, importers, distributors, HoReCa leaders, and technology providers across categories like agrifoods, dairy, beverages, fine foods, and food processing.

India’s food processing level has risen from just 3–4 per cent a decade ago to 16–17 per cent today, and it would rise to 25–30 per cent by 2030, bringing India closer to leading European countries, Dongre noted.

Amit Lohani, founder-director of Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), said India’s market for international foods has transformed significantly, with nearly 30 per cent of members now also operating as exporters and manufacturers, producing products such as Italian pasta, French butter and Belgian biscuits in India through joint ventures.

Raghav Jadli, president of All India Food Producers Association, said platforms such as Anuga FoodTec India go beyond showcasing products by creating opportunities for joint ventures, technology partnerships and deeper import-export collaboration.

“EU-India bilateral trade in agri-food products currently stands at around €5 billion, accounting for only about 4 per cent of total bilateral trade of approximately €125 billion,” said Pawel Stachowiak, Counsellor Trade & Economic Affair – European Union, highlighting the enormous potential for growth.

Volker Klima, Head of Agriculture & Food Division, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, said at Anuga Select India, Germany is reinforcing its commitment through a dedicated German Pavilion featuring at least 12 companies across food, beverages, confectionery and processing.