The food industry and packaging industry in India are undergoing a crisis of too many events, making all our heads spin. Exhibitions are held every week in some part of the country, and more so in the Delhi NCR and Mumbai. So are conferences, webinars, and award events. Our readers and advertisers ask us, “If we are only going to exhibitions, when will we do some work?”
In the background, no one knows what the GDP is or where it is going. However, everyone knows there is inflation and even hyperinflation with fuel and raw material prices rising, and that there is seemingly very little cash flow in the market.
Bilateral tariffs are being negotiated with the US, and other bilateral tariffs are awaiting the fine details needed for finalization before taking effect. Japan and Nepal are rejecting Indian mango exports. Basmati rice exports are under competitive pressure from Pakistan giving its exporters a duty drawback. But this is not the whole picture.
As if this is not enough, we are in the midst of a hot summer waiting for the monsoon, with several warring countries trying to make up their minds whether they would like to continue outright bloodshed and destruction or resume some kind of truthful discourse. Alternate distractions, such as the FIFA World Cup and elected legislators jumping to other parties, are also there.
So, how do I convince you that the second FoodTekPack conference is a must-attend event for you? The fact is that it is not a must-attend event. No conference in India or even the G7 Summit in Europe is a must attend event right now.
But if you are a food producer or processor or a packaging converter, or a filling and sealing company interested in face-to-face conversations about the opportunities and challenges for food and beverage exports, this would be a worthwhile event for you.
It is close at hand, and among our speakers and panelists we already have Dr Prem Garg, National President of the Indian Rice Exporters’ Federation, distinguished food technologist and scientific diplomat Bhushan Namdeorao Yengade, who is known for revolutionizing global food supply chains. Another keynote speaker is Arzad Khambatta of Rasna, who will address issues pertaining to food and beverage processing exports.
Filling and sealing, efficiency, automation, and AI expert K Ravi will discuss some of the new possibilities for generating real data, including consumer feedback, in the Innovations in packaging session. Dr. Azam Pasha, the CEO of global food import and export platform Maalexi, will address the session on securing and derisking food trade using real-world asset-based technologies.
This is not a huge mass event with everything for everyone. It is meant for a select group of food brands that are exporters and want to enter exports in a structured way, and who would like to share their experiences and challenges in an interactive way. Those that want to scale by facing the challenges of regulatins, compliances and to take on the innovations and technologies needed to accomplish this. And for those modern packaging converters and copacker who are ready to meet the highest standards and efficiencies for meeting both price competitivenes and sustainability.
These will not be lectures by anyone trying to sell you anything, but a day of interactive and structured conversations to solve the challenges connected with the innovations and business steps needed to scale the export of food and beverages. We hope to have a good cohort of food processors, brand owners, co-packers, and packaging material suppliers at the conference, as well as a number of importer participants from various countries that are visiting the Indusfood exhibition from 24 to 26 July.
Take a deep breath, and make up your own mind to attend the FoodTekPack Conference on 25 July 2026 in Gandhinagar! Even if you are not planning to participate, take a couple of deep breaths.
