India has unique production advantages and is the top tenth exporter of agricultural product in the world, as per WTO figures. Indian agricultural/horticultural and processed foods are exported to more than 100 countries/regions. However, India’s export potential is much higher given that India's total agriculture export basket accounts for a little over 2.5 per cent of world agri-trade. Further, the share of value-added produce in the export basket is less than 15%. As a result, majority of Indian exports are low value, raw or semi-processed and marketed in bulk which are then processed in other countries.
This is despite India's geographical location which gives it a unique advantage when it comes to exports, having convenient connectivity to Europe, Middle East & Africa from the western coast, and Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Australia & New Zealand from the eastern coast.
The need of the hour is to move up the value chain and enhance India’s export competitiveness to reduce food wastages and enhance food as well as processed food exports.
Given the huge potential four (4) agriculture value-added segments (Ready to Eat, Fisheries, Agro Produce – Mango, Citrus, Potato and Agro chemicals) are also identified as a ‘Champion Sector’ under the ongoing initiative by Government of India for making India a manufacturing hub and promotion of exports.
CII’s Food and Agriculture Center of Excellence (FACE), was assigned these four (4) Champion sectors and presented detailed roadmap for enhancing exports in these areas.
To scale the engagement further, CII is organising a Virtual Market Access Initiative for two (2) Champion sectors - ‘Ready to Eat’ and ‘Fisheries’ from June- July 2021.
The proposed initiative aims to promote “Brand India” in the Ready to Eat & Fisheries segment, in focused markets where opportunity for growth is identified.
Focus Countries: US, Canada, Singapore & UAE