India has taken centre stage at Gulfood 2026, the world’s largest annual food and beverage trade exhibition, as the Country Partner, marking its strongest-ever presence at the global platform and underscoring its expanding leadership in the agri-food and processed food sector. India has the largest participation at Gulfood 2026 among all countries, both in terms of the number of exhibitors and the total exhibition area.
India’s pavilion and partner-country branding reflect the scale and diversity of the country’s agri-food ecosystem. Key products showcased include basmati rice, more than ten GI-tagged rice varieties, processed foods, millets, groundnuts, tea, spices, turmeric, organic products, and fresh fruits and vegetables, highlighting India’s strength across staples, value-added foods and sustainable agricultural produce.
The Indian Pavilion at the APEDA Pavilion, Dubai Expo City, was inaugurated by Shri A. P. Das Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in the presence of Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE, Shri Abhishek Dev, Chairman, APEDA, Dr. Neeraj Kharwal, Managing Director, ITPO, and other senior dignitaries of the Government of India, along with a large number of Indian exhibitors.
The UAE continues to be the largest market for APEDA’s scheduled products and serves as a gateway to the wider Gulf region, which remains the biggest destination for India’s agricultural exports. The India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement has further strengthened bilateral trade, particularly in food processing and agricultural exports.
While India has maintained a consistent presence at Gulfood over the years, the 2026 edition marks its largest-ever participation, with more than 600 Indian companies exhibiting across categories such as staples, fresh produce, processed foods, beverages, agri-tech and food processing. As Country Partner, India has been accorded prominent branding across exhibition venues under a unified design theme, along with dedicated conference sessions and enhanced B2B engagement opportunities.
APEDA has taken an exhibition space of nearly 1,500 square metres across multiple Gulfood halls, including Pulses, Cereals and Grains, World Food, Beverages and Gulfood Green. More than 170 exhibitors are showcasing products under the APEDA umbrella. These include entities under the Department of Commerce such as the Tea Board, Spices Board and Turmeric Board; Government of India organisations including the National Horticulture Board, CAMPCO under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, NCEL and NAFED under the Ministry of Cooperation; as well as participation from State Governments and State entities including the Government of Meghalaya, Markfed Punjab, Sikkim–IFFCO, Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited COMFED, the Department of Agriculture Government of Bihar and the Uttarakhand Horticulture Board.
In addition to the APEDA-led presence, more than 500 Indian companies, largely institutional and large players, are participating independently across both exhibition venues, further reinforcing India’s dominant footprint at Gulfood 2026.
A major attraction this year is the Indian culinary and food tasting zone at the APEDA Pavilion, curated by celebrity chef Shri Harpal Singh Sokhi. The zone features dishes prepared using ten Indian GI-tagged rice varieties, including Kala Namak from Uttar Pradesh, Joha from Assam, Nagri Dubraj from Chhattisgarh, Jeeraphool from Odisha, Ambemohar from Maharashtra, Gobind Bhog from West Bengal, Mushqbudji from Jammu and Kashmir, Katarni from Bihar, Chak Hao black rice from Manipur and Boka Chaul from Assam, along with biryani presentations supported by the All India Rice Exporters Association. The culinary showcase highlights the diversity, heritage and export potential of India’s GI-tagged rice and traditional food preparations.
Another significant highlight of India’s participation is the presence of eight startups under APEDA’s BHARATI initiative, Bharat’s Hub for Agritech Resilience Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement. These startups are showcasing innovative agri-food and agri-tech products and technologies with support from industry partners M s LuLu Group and M s Allanasons. The BHARATI initiative has been launched by APEDA to strengthen the export capabilities of startups engaged in the agri-food and agri-tech sectors and to connect them with global markets.
India’s role as Country Partner at Gulfood 2026 reflects its commitment to delivering high-quality, safe, sustainable and innovative food products to international markets. The Indian Pavilion presents a comprehensive view of India’s capabilities across fresh and processed foods, beverages, cereals, millets, wellness products and export-enabling technologies. The participation is expected to further strengthen trade relations, enhance buyer engagement and reinforce India’s position as a trusted global food partner, aligned with the Government’s vision of making India the food basket of the world.
