The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority on 8 January 2026 organised the BHARATI Startup Challenge at Indusfood 2026, reinforcing the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in strengthening India’s agricultural and processed food export ecosystem.
Held under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the initiative aims to identify and support export ready agri startups by providing mentorship, market access and policy facilitation. Top performing startups emerging from the challenge will be given international exposure through participation in Gulfood in Dubai and BIOFACH in Germany, enabling them to explore global markets and scale their export potential.
A major highlight of APEDA’s participation was the BHARATI Startup Zone, which featured more than 100 exhibitors showcasing innovative solutions across value addition, agri technology, food processing, packaging, logistics, traceability and sustainability. The zone demonstrated how technology driven entrepreneurship is strengthening agricultural value chains, supporting MSMEs, empowering farmers and enhancing India’s competitiveness in global markets.
The APEDA Pavilion served as a key engagement platform, highlighting export ready agri and processed food products, quality assurance systems, traceability initiatives, GI tagged products and sustainability focused practices. It brought together exporters, farmer producer organisations, startups and international buyers, facilitating business interactions and partnerships across the agri export value chain.
The Indusfood 2026 event was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, with participation from senior government officials, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the agri export ecosystem.
APEDA’s presence at Indusfood 2026 underscored the government’s emphasis on ease of doing business, MSME empowerment, startup enablement and sustainable agricultural exports. The initiatives showcased at the event highlighted a collaborative approach linking policy, industry and innovation to position India as a reliable, competitive and future ready global supplier of agricultural and processed food products.
