Advantage India
Robust
Demand
* Processed food demand is surging, fuelled by urbanisation, higher incomes, changing lifestyles, and preference for convenience.
* India’s agriculture and fisheries exports grew from Rs. 2,49,264 crore (US$ 35.16 billion) in FY20 to Rs. 4,33,819 crore (US$ 51.23 billion) in FY25, recording 7.82% CAGR and reflecting strong demand growth.
* India targets Rs. 8,549 crore (US$ 1 billion) in turmeric exports by 2030, with the Turmeric Board supporting farmers, maintaining a 58-66% global market share.
*In FY25, India’s fresh fruit exports have grown over 18% in value to Rs. 9,977 crore (US$ 1,171.08 million) from FY24, reaching 85 countries.
Attractive
Opportunities
* India’s seaweed farming sector, valued at Rs. 200 crore (US$ 23.02 million), as of March 2025, is projected to grow to Rs. 3,277 crore (US$ 377.19 million) by 2035, potentially benefiting 1.6 million people.
* India can double maize production to 86 million tonnes by 2047, offering attractive opportunities through high-yield seeds and crop diversification.
*India is redirecting record rice stocks towards ethanol production to support its 20% blending target, manage surplus supplies, and strengthen the role of agriculture in clean energy.
Policy
Support
* The budget for Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare increased from Rs. 21,933.50 crore (US$ 2.53 billion) in 2013-14 to Rs. 1,27,290.16 crore (US$ 14.89 billion) in 2025-26, reflecting the government’s commitment to agricultural development.
* The Union Cabinet approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) worth Rs. 24,000 crore (US$ 2.79 billion) from FY26 to boost farm productivity, irrigation, credit access, and post-harvest infrastructure for 1.7 crore farmers across 100 districts
Competitive
Advantage
* India has access to several natural resources that provides it a competitive advantage in the food processing sector. Due to its diverse agro-climatic conditions, it has a wide-ranging and large raw material base suitable for food processing industries.
* In India, agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for ~55% of the population.
Introduction
Agriculture is one of the cornerstones of India’s economy and society, providing a livelihood to nearly 55% of the population. With the world’s second-largest agricultural land area, India is a global leader in farm output.
The country has the largest cattle herd (buffaloes), the largest area under wheat, rice, and cotton, and ranks as the world’s top producer of milk, pulses, and spices. It is also the second-largest producer of fruits, vegetables, tea, farmed fish, cotton, sugarcane, wheat, and rice, underscoring its central role in global food supply.
The food industry in India is poised for rapid growth, driven by its immense potential for value addition. The food processing industry alone accounts for 32% of the country’s total food market and ranks fifth globally in terms of production, consumption, exports, and growth potential.
Beyond generating employment for millions of farmers, the sector plays a vital role in rural industrialization, supply chain development, and food security.
India’s agricultural output has expanded significantly in the past decade, recording 40% growth and achieving surplus capacity for exports. In FY25, the sector grew by 5.4% year-on-year, supported by record production and higher trade volumes. Agricultural exports touched an all-time high of Rs. 4,40,000 crore (US$ 51.86 billion) in FY25, up from Rs. 3,95,793 crore (US$ 48.15 billion) in FY24. Agriculture and allied activities together contributed 17.8% to India’s GDP in 2023-24, reaffirming the sector’s importance to the national economy.
Production levels continue to rise steadily. According to the Third Advance Estimates, foodgrain production for 2024-25 is projected at a record 3,539.59 LMT, up 6.5% from the previous year. Rice production alone is expected to reach 1,490.74 LMT, an increase of 112.49 LMT YoY. Horticulture output has also shown remarkable growth, climbing from 280.70 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 367.72 million tonnes in 2024-25.
Market Size
The exports for principal commodities in FY25 were the following:
- Marine Product: US$ 6.73 billion
- Basmati and Non-Basmati Rice: US$ 11.29 billion
- Spices: US$ 3.79 billion
- Buffalo Meat: US$ 3.69 billion
- Sugar: US$ 1.86 billion
- Miscellaneous processed items: US$ 1.53 billion
- Oil Meal: US$ 1.22 billion
India’s agricultural and processed food exports rose 7.1% year-on-year in Q1 FY26, reaching Rs. 51,071 crore (US$ 5.96 billion). This growth was driven by strong shipments of rice, meat, and fruits. Looking ahead, rice exporters expect sustained demand from
West Asia, even as the sector navigates tariff-related challenges in the US.
As on September 5, 2025, the area sown under Kharif crops is 110.5 million hectares as compared to 107.85 million hectares during the corresponding period of last year.
India's wheat stocks highest in three years as of March 2025. The Food Corporation of India aims to purchase 31 million tons of wheat in 2025. Rice reserves are also high, potentially boosting exports.
Foreign investment has also supported growth in the sector. From April 2000 to March 2025, India received Rs. 18,948 crore (US$ 3.12 billion) in FDI inflows into agriculture services and Rs. 12,298 crore (US$ 1.73 billion) in agricultural machinery. The food processing industry has been a major draw, attracting cumulative FDI equity inflows of Rs. 86,824 crore (US$ 13.12 billion) over the same period, accounting for 1.85% of total FDI inflows across industries.
Within food processing, processed vegetables contributed Rs. 5,945.4 crore (US$ 697 million) in FY25, miscellaneous processed items stood at Rs. 13,102.1 crore (US$ 1,536 million), and processed fruits and juices accounted for Rs. 7,898.8 crore (US$ 926 million). This growth is supported by rising incomes in both rural and urban areas, as well as rapid population expansion that continues to fuel demand for diverse agricultural and processed products.
The sector is also witnessing increasing adoption of modern technologies. Tools such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), geographic information systems (GIS), drones, and remote sensing are being leveraged to enhance efficiency and transparency. Alongside, various e-farming applications are enabling farmers and agribusinesses to improve productivity and market access.
Investment
Some major investments and developments in agriculture are as follows:
- India’s Free Trade Agreement with the UK signed on July 24, 2025, grants duty-free access to 95% of its agricultural and processed food exports, including marine products, and is expected to boost agri exports by over 20% in three years, supporting its US$ 100 billion target by 2030.
- India is redirecting record rice stocks towards ethanol production to support its 20% blending target, manage surplus supplies, and strengthen the role of agriculture in clean energy.
- In December 2023, NBCC signed an MoU with the National Cooperative Development Cooperation (NCDC) and NABARD for the construction of (1,469-grain storage units) the world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector.
- India to host the 27th WAIPA World Investment Conference in New Delhi from December 11-14, 2023.
- In December 2023, Tata-owned Rallis India launched NAYAZINC fertilizer.
- In October 2023, the President of India launched the Fourth Krishi Road map of Bihar.
- In October 2023, Coal India, partnered to invest Rs. 3,095 crore (US$ 371.69 million) in fertiliser JV to boost output.
- Government has set up a special fund called the Food Processing Fund (FPF) of approximately US$ 265 million in the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for extending affordable credit to designated food parks and food processing enterprises in the designated food parks.
- Indians are spending more on processed food, with beverages, refreshments, and processed items accounting for 9.84% of food expenditure in rural areas and 11.09% in urban areas in 2023-24
- The organic food segment in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% during 2015-¬25 and is estimated to reach Rs. 75,000 crore (US$ 9.1 billion) by 2025 from Rs. 2,700 crore (US$ 386.32 million) in 2015.
- The food processing industry supports over seven million jobs across the value chain, directly and indirectly, while enabling rural industrialization and reducing post-harvest losses. According to the Viksit Bharat@2047 report, India's food processing sector will grow significantly, reaching US$ 1.1 trillion by FY35, US$ 1.5 trillion by FY40, US$ 1.9 trillion by FY45, and US$ 2.15 trillion by FY47. The government’s focus is on supply chain-related infrastructures like cold storage, abattoirs and food parks.
- India’s smart agriculture market reached Rs. 6,033 crore (US$ 714.1 million) in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20.54% to Rs. 33,325 crore (US$ 3,837.6 million) by 2033, driven by rising demand for precision agriculture technologies. By 2025, Indian agritech companies are likely to witness investments worth US$ 30-35 billion.
- The performance of the agriculture and allied sector has been buoyant over the past several years, much of which is on account of the measures taken by the government to augment crop and livestock productivity, ensure certainty of returns to the farmers through price support, promote crop diversification, improve market infrastructure through the impetus provided for the setting up of farmer-producer organizations and promotion of investment in infrastructure facilities through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
Government Initiatives
Some of the recent major Government initiatives in the sector are as follows
- In July 2025, The Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025 under PM Matsya Sampada Yojana allocated Rs. 255 crore (US$ 29.1 million) for infrastructure and Rs. 364 crore (US$ 41.6 million) to equip 1,00,000 vessels with transponders, while launching Regional Fisheries Management Councils and the Marine Fisheries Census 2025 to enhance safety and governance.
- The Union Cabinet approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) worth Rs. 24,000 crore (US$ 2.79 billion) from FY26 to boost farm productivity, irrigation, credit access, and post-harvest infrastructure for 1.7 crore farmers across 100 districts
- The Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) is strengthening India’s food processing sector, benefiting 34.15 lakh farmers and creating over 4.33 lakh jobs through 1,601 projects.
- The government has approved an Action Plan for constructing steel silos under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to modernize storage facilities, with a total capacity of 24.25 Lakh metric tonnes (LMT) under development.
- The budget for Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare increased from Rs. 21,933.50 crore (US$ 2.53 billion) in 2013-14 to Rs. 1,27,290.16 crore (US$ 14.89 billion) in 2025-26, reflecting the government’s commitment to agricultural development.
- In the Union Budget 2024-25, a provision of Rs. 1.52 lakh crore (US$ 18.26 billion) has been made for agriculture and allied sector.
- As per the Economic Survey 2024-25, for FY25, the MSP for arhar and bajra has been increased by 59% and 77% over the weighted average cost of production, respectively. Moreover, the MSP for Masur has risen by 89%, while rapeseed has seen an impressive increase of 98%.
- As per the Economic Survey 2024-25, since FY16, the government has implemented the Per Drop More Crop initiative under PMKSY, covering 95.58 lakh hectares by December 2024 with Rs. 21,968.75 crore (US$ 2.57 billion) released to states for micro-irrigation, offering 55% subsidy to small/marginal farmers and 45% to others. From 2018 to 2024, loans worth Rs. 4,709 crore (US$ 551 million) were approved under the Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF), with Rs. 3,640 crore (US$ 426.5 million) disbursed, supported by a 2% interest subvention to states.
- In January 2024, The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has approved the following under the corresponding component schemes of PMKSY: 41 Mega Food Parks, 399 Cold Chain projects, 76 Agro-processing Clusters, 588 Food Processing Units, 61 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects, and 52 Operation Green projects.
- Through several Digital Initiatives, such as the National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A), the construction of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), digital registries, etc., the government has taken a number of steps to ensure access to IT across the nation.
- The Soil Health Card site has been updated and connected with a Geographic Information System (GIS) system, allowing all test results to be captured and shown on a map. Samples are now being gathered using a mobile application as of April 2023 under the new system.
- The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Scheme has been implemented in 704 districts across 28 states and 5 UTs to educate farmers. Grants-in-aid are released to the State Government under the scheme with the goal of supporting State Governments' efforts to make available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in various thematic areas of agriculture and allied sector.
- Since its inception, i.e. from 01.04.2001 to 31.12.2022, a total of 42,164 storage infrastructure projects (Godowns) with a capacity of 740.43 Lakh MT have been assisted in the country under the Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) sub-scheme of the Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM).
- The Centre has granted permission to 5 private companies to conduct cluster farming of specified horticulture crops on approximately 50,000 hectares on a trial basis, with a total investment of Rs. 750 crore (US$ 91.75 million). The 5 companies chosen through a bidding process for the pilot cluster farming program are Prasad Seeds, FIL Industries, Sahyadri Farms, Meghalaya Basin Management Agency.
- 27,003 Loans have been sanctioned in the country under credit linked subsidy component of the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME).
- The Indian government is planning to launch Kisan Drones for crop assessment, digitization of land records, and spraying of insecticides and nutrients.
- NABARD will assist in the creation of a blended capital fund with a focus on the agricultural start-up ecosystem which will be used to fund agriculture and rural enterprise startups that are related to the farm product value chain.
- A network of 729 Krishi Vigyan Kendras has been established at the district level across the country to ensure that newer technologies such as improved variety seeds of crops, new breeds/ strains of livestock and fish, and improved production and protection technologies reach farmers.
- In October 2021, the Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation launched the ‘Dairy Sahakar’ scheme in Anand, Gujarat.
- Ministry of Civil Aviation launched the Krishi UDAN 2.0 scheme in October 2021. The scheme proposes assistance and incentive for the movement of agri-produce by air transport. The Krishi UDAN 2.0 will be implemented at 53 airports across the country, largely focusing on Northeast and tribal regions, and is expected to benefit farmers, freight forwarders, and airlines.
- The Agriculture Export Policy, 2018 was approved by the Government of India in December 2018. The new policy aimed to increase India’s agricultural export to US$ 60 billion by 2022 and US$ 100 billion in the next few years with a stable trade policy regime.
- The Government of India is going to provide Rs. 2,000 crore (US$ 306.29 million) for the computerisation of the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) to ensure cooperatives are benefitted through digital technology.
- The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) with an investment of Rs. 50,000 crore (US$ 7.7 billion) aimed at the development of irrigation sources for providing a permanent solution to drought.
- Government plans to triple the capacity of the food processing sector in India from the current 10% of agricultural produce and has also committed Rs. 6,000 crore (US$ 729 million) as investments for mega food parks in the country, as a part of the Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA).
- The Government of India has allowed 100% FDI in the marketing of food products and in food product E-commerce under the automatic route.
- To enhance the income of farmers, the government has taken initiatives across several focus areas. Income support is provided to farmers through PM KISAN Scheme, crop insurance is assured through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and irrigation facilities are ensured under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
- Access to institutional credit is being provided through Kisan Credit Card and other channels.
- Under the e-NAM initiative, markets across the length and breadth of the nation are now open to farmers, to enable them to get more remunerative prices for their produce. Online, Competitive, Transparent Bidding System with 1.74 crore farmers and 2.39 lakh traders put in place under the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Scheme.
- The umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers for various Kharif and Rabi crops while also keeping a robust procurement mechanism in place.
- In order to increase the level of food- processing industry and encouraging rural entrepreneurship across the country including rural areas, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing the Central Sector Umbrella Scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and centrally sponsored PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.
- The PMFME Scheme provides financial, technical, and business support for setting up/upgradation of 2 Lakh micro food processing enterprises through credit-linked subsidy during 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore (US$ 1.27 billion).
- Under component schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI mostly provides financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for the creation of modern infrastructure and setting up of food processing/preservation industries including Cold Chains with associated infrastructure like primary processing facilities, collection centres, pre-conditioning, pre-cooling, ripening, packing, etc.
- As per the Union Budget 2023-24, A new sub-scheme of PM Matsya Sampada Yojana with the targeted investment of Rs. 6,000 crore (US$ 729 million) to be launched to further enable activities of fishermen, fish vendors, and micro & small enterprises, improve value chain efficiencies, and expand the market.
- Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture: agriculture will be built as an open source, open standard, and interoperable public good. this will enable inclusive, farmer-centric solutions through relevant information services for crop planning and health, improved access to farm inputs, credit, and insurance, help for crop estimation, market intelligence, and support for the growth of the agri-tech industry and start-ups.
- To enhance the productivity of extra-long staple cotton, Government will adopt a cluster-based and value chain approach through Public Private Partnerships (PPP). This will mean collaboration between farmers, the state and industry for input supplies, extension services, and market linkages.
- Computerisation of 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with an investment of Rs. 2,516 crore (US$ 305.9 million) initiated.
- Rs. 20 lakh crore (US$ 24.41 billion) agricultural credit targeted at animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries.
- To make India a global hub for 'Shree Anna', the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be supported as the Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices, research, and technologies at the international level.
Road Ahead
India’s agriculture sector is poised for sustained growth, supported by rising exports, greater investments, and targeted policy interventions. Agriculture and fisheries exports grew from Rs. 2,49,264 crore (US$ 35.16 billion) in FY20 to Rs. 4,33,819 crore (US$ 51.23 billion) in FY25, registering a CAGR of 7.82%. Tamil Nadu has set an ambitious target of Rs. 42,745 crore (US$ 5 billion) in seafood exports by strengthening coastal infrastructure and promoting value addition, while India as a whole aims to achieve Rs. 8,549 crore (US$ 1 billion) turmeric exports by 2030 through the National Turmeric Board and the SPICED scheme, retaining its dominant 58-66% global market share.
Stronger investment in infrastructure is expected to further boost momentum. Over the next five years, the central government plans to attract US$ 9 billion in the fisheries sector under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. In parallel, the Union Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), with an outlay of Rs. 24,000 crore (US$ 2.79 billion) from FY26, to enhance farm productivity, irrigation, credit access, and post-harvest facilities for 1.7 crore farmers across 100 districts. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is also pushing ahead with investments
in food processing through the continued implementation of PMKSY, with an allocation of Rs. 4,600 crore (US$ 559.4 million) till March 2026.
Agricultural credit is another area of focus. Projections indicate that credit will exceed Rs. 31.5 lakh crore (US$ 368.55 billion) in FY26, supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as it works to address regional disparities and extend support to tenant farmers. The adoption of food safety and quality assurance frameworks such as Total Quality Management (TQM), ISO 9000, ISO 22000, HACCP, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) is expected to improve product standards, support exports, and increase global competitiveness of Indian agri-products.
Crop diversification and innovation will also play a critical role in shaping the sector’s outlook. India is expected to become self-sufficient in pulses in the coming years, backed by early-maturing seed varieties and higher minimum support prices. Maize production could potentially double to 86 million tonnes by 2047, offering attractive opportunities through high-yield seeds and better crop management. The dairy sector is projected to expand by 11-13% in FY26, driven by value-added products (VAPs) and investments worth Rs. 3,400 crore (US$ 398 million), raising the share of VAPs to 45% while improving margins by 20-30 basis points.
Overall, with strategic investments in infrastructure, continued reforms, and a strong export pipeline, India’s agriculture sector is well-positioned to sustain growth, diversify output, and strengthen its global footprint in the coming decade.
References: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Department of Commerce and Industry, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Press Releases, Media Reports, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Crisil, Union Budget 2023-24, 25-26, Economic Survey 2024-25
Note: Conversion rate used in July 2025, Rs. 1 = US$ 0.012
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