Healthcare

Introduction

Healthcare has become one of India’s largest sectors – both in terms of revenue and employment. Healthcare comprises hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance and medical equipment. The Indian healthcare sector is growing at a brisk pace due to its strengthening coverage, services and increasing expenditure by public as well private players.

Indian healthcare delivery system is categorised into two major components – public and private. The Government, i.e. public healthcare system comprises limited secondary and tertiary care institutions in key cities and focuses on providing basic healthcare facilities in the form of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in rural areas. The private sector provides majority of secondary, tertiary and quaternary care institutions with a major concentration in metros, tier I and tier II cities.

India’s competitive advantage lies in its large pool of well-trained medical professionals. India is also cost competitive compared to its peers in Asia and Western countries. The cost of surgery in India is about one-tenth of that in the US or Western Europe.

Market Size

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India has predicted that with increased digital adoption, the Indian healthcare market, which is worth around US$ 100 billion, will likely grow at a CAGR of 23 per cent to US$ 280 billion by 2020.

The revenue of India’s corporate healthcare sector is estimated to grow at 15 per cent in FY 2017-18. India is experiencing 22-25 per cent growth in medical tourism and the industry is expected to double its size from present (April 2017) US$ 3 billion to US$ 6 billion by 2018. Medical tourist arrivals in India increased more than 50 per cent to 200,000 in 2016 from 130,000 in 2015.

The Healthcare Information Technology (IT) market is valued at US$ 1 billion currently (April 2016) and is expected to grow 1.5 times by 2020.

Over 80 per cent of the antiretroviral drugs used globally to combat AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical firms.

There is a significant scope for enhancing healthcare services considering that healthcare spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is rising. Rural India, which accounts for over 70 per cent of the population, is set to emerge as a potential demand source.

A total of 3,598 hospitals and 25,723 dispensaries across the country offer AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) treatment, thus ensuring availability of alternative medicine and treatment to the people.

Investments

The hospital and diagnostic centres attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US$ 4.34 billion between April 2000 and March 2017, according to data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Some of the major investments in the Indian healthcare industry are as follows:

• Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) has raised US$ 200 million from True North, a private equity fund, for a 40 per cent stake in the company, which will be utilised towards funding its growth plans.
• Syngene, a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd, has acquired a contract from HerbalLife Nutrition, a nutrition company, to develop nutrition based products that can be sold by Herbalife in India.
• CureFit, a healthcare and fitness start-up, has acquired Kristys Kitchen, an online health-food delivery company, in a cash and stock deal.
• STEER Engineering has announced research collaboration with Merck, a German healthcare and life sciences firm, for creating a technology useful for processing special effect pigments for the plastic industry.
• Max Healthcare, a healthcare institute based in New Delhi, has plans to invest Rs 320 crore (US$ 48 million) to build a cancer care hospital in Delhi, being a part of Max’s larger plan to develop its hospital in Saket.
• Thyrocare Technologies, a diagnostic laboratory chain, plans to expand its lab centres from 7 to 25 and franchisees from 1,200 to 5,000 to achieve a target revenue of Rs 1,000 crore (US$ 150 million) by 2020.
• OrbiMed, a healthcare-dedicated investment firm, plans to invest around US$ 40 million in Kolkata-based pathology and radiology services chain Suraksha Diagnostics for expanding the diagnostics chain’s laboratory network across India and enhancing its equipment technology backbone.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of World Bank, has invested around Rs 450 crore (US$ 67.5 million) for a 29 per cent stake in Healthcare major Apollo Group’s subsidiary Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd for funding Apollo’s expansion activities.
• Abraaj Group, a Dubai-based private equity investment firm, is in advanced discussions to acquire a controlling stake in south India’s leading diagnostics services provider Medall Healthcare Pvt Ltd, at an enterprise value of around Rs 1,500 crore (US$ 225 million).
• Practo Technologies Pvt Ltd, a digital healthcare start-up, has raised US$ 55 million in series D round of funding led by Chinese investment holding company, Tencent Holdings Ltd, which will be used for expanding its product portfolio.
• Japanese financial services firm Orix Corp. is in talks to buy a minority stake in Bengaluru-based fertility clinic chain Nova IVI Fertility, from the company’s promoters and existing private equity investors for Rs 250-300 crore (US$ 37.5-45 million).
• UAE-based Gamma Group has outlined plans of investing around Rs 3,000 crore (US$ 449.68 million) in the infrastructure, health and education sectors of Kerala, which is expected to generate around 2,000 indirect and direct jobs in the state.

Government Initiatives

Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India to promote Indian healthcare industry are as follows:

• In the Union Budget 2017-18, the overall health budget increased from INR 39,879 crore (US$ 5.96 billion) (1.97% of total Union Budget) to INR 48,878 crore (US$ 7.3 billion) (2.27% of total Union Budget). In addition, the Government of India made following announcements in the Union Budget 2017-18
• Harmonise policies and rules for the medical devices industry to encourage local manufacturing and move towards improving affordability for patients.
• Modify the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to promote generics and reduce the cost of medicines.
• Set up two new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Gujarat and Jharkhand.
• Convert 1.5 lakh sub centres in Indian villages to health and wellness centres
• Set short and medium term targets for key health indicators and bring down the Maternal Mortality Rate to 100 by 2018-2020 and Infant Mortality Rate to 28 by 2019.
• Prepare action plans to eliminate Kala Azar and Filariasis by 2017, leprosy by 2018, measles by 2020 and tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.
• The Union Cabinet, Government of India, has approved the National Health Policy 2017, which will provide the policy framework for achieving universal health coverage and delivering quality health care services to all at an affordable cost.
• The Government of India plans to set up a single window approval system for innovation in medical research, in order to grant permission/approvals within 30 days from the date of application to Indian innovation projects who have applied for global patent.
• Mr Shripad Naik, Minister of State with Independent Charge for AYUSH, has verified that the AYUSH Ministry is working with various agencies, institutions and Ayurveda researchers and practitioners across the globe to turn India into a global hub for knowledge, research, practice and developmental projects on traditional medicines.
• The Government of Assam has launched the Atal-Amrit Abhiyan health insurance scheme, which would offer comprehensive coverage for six disease groups to below-poverty line (BPL) and above-poverty line (APL) families, with annual income below Rs 500,000 (US$ 7,500).
• The Government of India and the Government of the State of Nagaland signed financing agreement and project agreement respectively with The World Bank, for the ‘Nagaland Health Project’ for US$ 48 million, which aims to improve health services and increase their utilisation by communities in targeted locations in the state.

Road Ahead

India is a land full of opportunities for players in the medical devices industry. The country has also become one of the leading destinations for high-end diagnostic services with tremendous capital investment for advanced diagnostic facilities, thus catering to a greater proportion of population. Besides, Indian medical service consumers have become more conscious towards their healthcare upkeep.

India’s competitive advantage also lies in the increased success rate of Indian companies in getting Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals. India also offers vast opportunities in R&D as well as medical tourism. To sum up, there are vast opportunities for investment in healthcare infrastructure in both urban and rural India.

References: Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), RNCOS Reports, Media Reports, Press Information Bureau (PIB)

Renewable Energy

Introduction

Power is one of the most critical components of infrastructure crucial for the economic growth and welfare of nations. The existence and development of adequate infrastructure is essential for sustained growth of the Indian economy.

India’s power sector is one of the most diversified in the world. Sources of power generation range from conventional sources such as coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, hydro and nuclear power to viable non-conventional sources such as wind, solar, and agricultural and domestic waste. Electricity demand in the country has increased rapidly and is expected to rise further in the years to come. In order to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the country, massive addition to the installed generating capacity is required.

India ranks third among 40 countries in EY’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, on back of strong focus by the government on promoting renewable energy and implementation of projects in a time bound manner.

India has moved up 73 spots to rank 26th in the World Bank’s list of electricity accessibility in 2017, according to Mr Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, Renewable Energy and Mines, Government of India.

Market Size

Indian power sector is undergoing a significant change that has redefined the industry outlook. Sustained economic growth continues to drive electricity demand in India. The Government of India’s focus on attaining ‘Power for all’ has accelerated capacity addition in the country. At the same time, the competitive intensity is increasing at both the market and supply sides (fuel, logistics, finances, and manpower).

Total installed capacity of power stations in India stood at 330,260.53 Megawatt (MW) as on May, 2017.The Ministry of Power has set a target of 1,229.4 billion units (BU) of electricity to be generated in the financial year 2017-18, which is 50 BU’s higher than the target for 2016-17. The annual growth rate in renewable energy generation has been estimated to be 27 per cent and 18 per cent for conventional energy.

The Government has added 10.2 Giga Watts (GW) of conventional energy generation capacity and 12.5 GW of renewable energy capacity in Financial Year 2017

Under the 12th Five Year Plan, the Government has added 93.5 GW of power generation capacity, thereby surpassing its target of 88.5 GW during the period.

Investment Scenario

Around 293 global and domestic companies have committed to generate 266 GW of solar, wind, mini-hydel and biomass-based power in India over the next 5–10 years. The initiative would entail an investment of about US$ 310–350 billion.

Between April 2000 and March 2017, the industry attracted US$ 11.59 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Some major investments and developments in the Indian power sector are as follows

• Greenko Energy Holdings, has raised US$ 155 million from its existing investors, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, which will be utilised for expanding its clean energy portfolio to 3 gigawatts (GW) from 2 GW at present.
• Private equity (PE) investment firm, Actis LLP, is planning to invest about US$ 500 million in Solenergi Power Pvt Ltd, its second renewable energy platform in India.
• Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd is planning to invest in high-end electric powertrain technology in a move towards the future of mobility as well as for the electrification of its existing and future line-up of products.
• Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd is planning to foray into the battery storage business and set up solar charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) in India to capitalise on India’s emerging EV market.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed a financing loan worth US$ 100 million, which will be used to support solar rooftop projects on commercial and industrial buildings across India.
• Tata Capital Ltd and International Finance Corporation (IFC) have invested Rs 200 crore (US$ 31.05 million) in their joint venture (JV), Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd (TCCL), to increase its loan book for investing in renewable energy projects.
• CDC Group Plc, a development finance institution, plans to set up its own renewable energy platform in the eastern states of India like Bihar, Odisha and Assam, and other neighbouring countries to focus on developing hundreds of megawatts (MWs) of high-quality greenfield generational capacity.
• Japan’s JERA Co. Inc, has acquired a 10 per cent stake in ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd for US$ 200 million, valuing the company at US$ 2 billion before its proposed Initial Public Offer (IPO).
• The Indian Railways is looking to award six tenders worth Rs 8000 crores (US$ 1.2 billion), for setting up of a country-wide electricity transmission network, as part of a strategy to reduce electricity bills.
• Renewable energy company ReNew Power has announced securing US$ 390 million debt funding from its existing investor Asian Development Bank (ADB) for developing and expanding capacities of 709 megawatt (MW) across various states of India.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC), along with IFC Global Infrastructure Fund, the private equity fund of IFC Asset Management Company, has announced investment of US$ 125 million equity in Hero Future Energies, which will help the firm set up 1 gigawatt (GW) of greenfield solar and wind power plants over the next one year.

 Government Initiatives

The Government of India has identified power sector as a key sector of focus so as to promote sustained industrial growth. Some initiatives by the Government of India to boost the Indian power sector

• The Ministry of Power, Government of India, has taken various measures to achieve its aim of providing 24X7 affordable and environment friendly ‘Power for All’ by 2019, which includes preparation of state specific action plans, and implementation of Green Energy Corridor for transmission of renewable energy, among other measures.
• India has become an associate member of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which makes the Paris-based body more significant, indicating India’s growing prominence in playing an important role in the global energy dialogue, according to the IEA.
• The Government of India plans to auction coal blocks for commercial mining by the end of December 2017, which would end the monopoly of state-run firms in coal mining and help in achieving the country’s target of producing 1 billion tonnes of coal by 2020.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a new coal linkage policy, aimed at providing necessary supply of fuel to power plants through reverse auction
• The Government of India has announced plans to implement a US$ 238 million National Mission on advanced ultra-supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the enhancement of capacity of the Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects from 20,000 megawatt (MW) to 40,000 MW, which will ensure setting up of at least 50 solar parks each with a capacity of 500 MW and above in various parts of the country.
• The Union Cabinet, Government of India has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal, which will help strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy plans to introduce a fixed-cost component to the tariff for electricity generated from renewable energy sources like solar or wind, in a bid to promote a green economy.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the ratification of International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) framework agreement by India, which will provide India a platform to showcase its solar programmes, and put it in a leadership role in climate and renewable energy issues globally.

Road Ahead

The Indian power sector has an investment potential of Rs 15 trillion (US$ 225 billion) in the next 4–5 years, thereby providing immense opportunities in power generation, distribution, transmission, and equipment, according to Union Minister Mr Piyush Goyal.

The government’s immediate goal is to generate two trillion units (kilowatt hours) of energy by 2019. This means doubling the current production capacity to provide 24×7 electricity for residential, industrial, commercial and agriculture use.

The government has electrified 13,000 villages so far out of the total 18,452 villages and is targeting electrification of all villages by 2019, within the targeted 1,000 days.

The Government of India is taking a number of steps and initiatives like 10-year tax exemption for solar energy projects, etc., in order to achieve India’s ambitious renewable energy targets of adding 175 GW of renewable energy, including addition of 100 GW of solar power, by the year 2022. The government has also sought to restart the stalled hydro power projects and increase the wind energy production target to 60 GW by 2022 from the current 20 GW.

References: Media Reports, Press Releases, Press Information Bureau (PIB)

Agriculture

Introduction

Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy. Over 58 per cent of the rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry, is one of the largest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As per the 2nd advised estimates by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the share of agriculture and allied sectors (including agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishery) is expected to be 17.3 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2016-17 at 2011-12 prices.

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and spice products. India’s fruit production has grown faster than vegetables, making it the second largest fruit producer in the world. India’s horticulture output, is estimated to be 287.3 million tonnes (MT) in 2016-17 after the first advance estimate. It ranks third in farm and agriculture outputs. Agricultural export constitutes 10 per cent of the country’s exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal commodity. The agro industry in India is divided into several sub segments such as canned, dairy, processed, frozen food to fisheries, meat, poultry, and food grains.

The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the development of the agriculture sector in India. It manages several other bodies, such as the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), to develop other allied agricultural sectors.

Market Size

India’s GDP is expected to grow at 7.1 per cent in FY 2016-17, led by growth in private consumption, while agriculture GDP is expected to grow above-trend at 4.1 per cent to Rs 1.11 trillion (US$ 1,640 billion). As per the 2nd Advance Estimates, India’s food grain production is expected to be 271.98 MT in 2016-17. Production of pulses is estimated at 22.14 MT.

India’s exports of basmati rice may rise to Rs 22,000-22,500 crore (US$ 3.42-3.49 billion), with volume to around 4.09 MT in 2017-18, backed by a rise in average realisations.

Wheat production in India is expected to touch an all-time high of 96.6 MT during 2016-17.

Groundnut exports from India are expected to cross 700,000 tonnes during FY 2016-17 as compared to 537,888 tonnes during FY 2015-16, owing to the expected 70 per cent increase in the crop size due to good monsoons. India’s groundnut exports rose to 653,240 MT during April 2016-February 2017.@ India’s export of grapes to Europe and China are expected to increase by 10 to 20 per cent this year on back of higher production on account of good monsoon and higher demand due to competitors such as Chile shifting focus to US market.

Spices exports from India grew by 9 per cent in volume and 5 per cent in value year-on-year to 660,975 tonnes and US$ 1.87 billion respectively, during April-December 2016.

 Investments

According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the Indian agricultural services and agricultural machinery sectors have cumulatively attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow of about US$ 2,315.33 million from April 2000 to December 2016.

Some major investments and developments in agriculture are as follows

• India and Brazil have signed a bilateral investment agreement, aimed at enhancing cooperation in areas of agriculture, cattle genomics, ship building, pharmaceuticals, defence production, ethanol production and oil and gas, between the countries.
• Zephyr Peacock, the India-focused private equity fund of US-based Zephyr Management, has invested an undisclosed amount in Bengaluru-based potato seeds firm Utkal Tubers India Pvt Ltd, which will be used to produce high-quality mini-tubers in a tissue culture laboratory and multiply them in its own development farms and through supervised contract farming in different regions of the country.
• Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd (MASL), a unit of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, has agreed to purchase 60 per cent stake in OFD Holding BV, a Netherlands-based fruit distribution company, for Rs 36 crore (EUR 5 million), which will provide MASL access to European and Chinese markets for Indian grapes.

Government Initiatives

Given the importance of the agriculture sector, the Government of India, in its Budget 2017–18, planned several steps for the sustainable development of agriculture

• Total allocation for rural, agricultural and allied sectors for FY 2017-18 has been increased by 24 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,87,223 crore (US$ 28.1 billion). A dedicated micro-irrigation fund will be set up by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with a corpus of Rs 5,000 crore (US$ 750 million). The government plans to set up a dairy processing fund of Rs 8,000 crore (US$ 1.2 billion) over three years with initial corpus of Rs 2,000 crore (US$ 300 million).
• The participation of women in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA) has increased to 55 per cent and allocation to the scheme has been increased to a record Rs 48,000 crore (US$ 7.2 billion) for FY2017-18.
• Short-term crop loans up to Rs 300,000 (US$ 4,500) at subsidised interest rate of 7 per cent per annum would be provided to the farmers. An additional incentive of 3 per cent is provided to farmers for prompt repayment of loans within due date, making an effective interest rate for them at 4 per cent.
• The NITI Aayog has proposed various reforms in India’s agriculture sector, including liberal contract farming, direct purchase from farmers by private players, direct sale by farmers to consumers, and single trader license, among other measures, in order to double rural income in the next five years. The Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, has been conducting various consultations and seeking suggestions from numerous stakeholders in the agriculture sector, in order to devise a strategy to double the income of farmers by 2022.
• The Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) has operationalised 31 farmer-to-consumer markets in the state, and plans to open 100 more such markets in the future, which would facilitate better financial remunerations for the farmers by allowing them to directly sell their produce in open markets.
• The Ministry of Labour and Employment plans to amend the Minimum Wage Act to raise the daily minimum wage of unskilled agricultural labour in C-class towns to Rs 350 (US$ 5.2) in the central sphere, from the current wage of Rs 160 (US$ 2.4) per day.
• The Central Government plans to open at least one Krishi Vigyan Kendra in all districts of the country, which will provide advanced agriculture technical assistance to the farmers near their farms itself.
• The Government of Karnataka plans to invest around Rs 1 trillion (US$ 15.1 billion) for developing irrigation projects across the state to mitigate the impact of deficient rainfall and resulting drought on agriculture in recent years.
• The Government of India and the Government of Israel have expressed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations in the field of agriculture and allied sectors, as well as enhance cooperation at the government-to-government and business-to-business levels between the two countries, in a bid to further enhance the relationship.
• According to the Agriculture Ministry, 50,000 hectares of area is available for coconut cultivation in Bihar, the Coconut Development Board plans to equip the farmers thus making India the world leader in production, productivity, processing for value addition and export of coconut.

Road Ahead

The agriculture sector in India is expected to generate better momentum in the next few years due to increased investments in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing and cold storage. Factors such as reduced transaction costs and time, improved port gate management and better fiscal incentives would contribute to the sector’s growth. Furthermore, the growing use of genetically modified crops will likely improve the yield for Indian farmers.

India is expected to be self-sufficient in pulses in the coming few years due to concerted efforts of scientists to get early-maturing varieties of pulses and the increase in minimum support price.

Note: as per Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA), according to the second advance estimate of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, as per Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), as per the Central Statistics Office, according to the Spices Board of India, as per Mr Radha Mohan Singh, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,  Since October 2016

Food Processing

Introduction

The Indian food industry is poised for huge growth, increasing its contribution to world food trade every year. In India, the food sector has emerged as a high-growth and high-profit sector due to its immense potential for value addition, particularly within the food processing industry.

Accounting for about 32 per cent of the country’s total food market, The Government of India has been instrumental in the growth and development of the food processing industry. The government through the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is making all efforts to encourage investments in the business. It has approved proposals for joint ventures (JV), foreign collaborations, industrial licenses, and 100 per cent export oriented units.

Market Size

The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with retail contributing 70 per cent of the sales. The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market, one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. It contributes around 8.80 and 8.39 per cent of Gross Value Added (GVA) in Manufacturing and Agriculture respectively, 13 per cent of India’s exports and six per cent of total industrial investment. The Indian gourmet food market is currently valued at US$ 1.3 billion and is growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20 per cent. India’s organic food market is expected to increase by three times by 2020#.

The online food ordering business in India is in its nascent stage, but witnessing exponential growth. With online food delivery players like FoodPanda, Zomato, TinyOwl and Swiggy building scale through partnerships, the organised food business has a huge potential and a promising future. The online food delivery industry grew at 150 per cent year-on-year with an estimated Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of US$ 300 million in 2016.

Investments

According to the data provided by the Department of Industrial Policies and Promotion (DIPP), the food processing sector in India has received around US$ 7.54 billion worth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the period April 2000-March 2017. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimates that the food processing sectors have the potential to attract as much as US$ 33 billion of investment over the next 10 years and also to generate employment of nine million person-days

• Global e-commerce giant, Amazon is planning to enter the Indian food retailing sector by investing US$ 515 million in the next five years, as per Mr Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries, Government of India.
• Parle Agro Pvt Ltd is launching Frooti Fizz, a succession of the original Mango Frooti, which will be retailed across 1.2 million outlets in the country as it targets increasing its annual revenue from Rs 2800 crore (US$ 0.42 billion) to Rs 5000 crore (US$ 0.75 billion) by 2018.
• US-based food company Cargill Inc, aims to double its branded consumer business in India by 2020, by doubling its retail reach to about 800,000 outlets and increase market share to become national leader in the sunflower oil category which will help the company be among the top three leading brands in India.
• Mad Over Donuts (MoD), outlined plans of expanding its operations in India by opening nine new MOD stores by March 2017.
• Danone SA plans to focus on nutrition business in India, its fastest growing market in South Asia, by launching 10 new products in 2017, and aiming to double its revenue in India by 2020.
• Uber Technologies Inc plans to launch UberEATS, its food delivery service to India, with investments made across multiple cities and regions.

Government Initiatives

Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India to improve the food processing sector in India are as follows

• The Government of India aims to boost growth in the food processing sector by leveraging reforms such as 100 per cent Foreign direct investment (FDI) in marketing of food products and various incentives at central and state government level along with a strong focus on supply chain infrastructure.
• In Union Budget 2017-18, the Government of India has set up a dairy processing infra fund worth Rs 8,000 crore (US$ 1.2 billion).
• The Government of India has relaxed foreign direct investment (FDI) norms for the sector, allowing up to 100 per cent FDI in food product e-commerce through automatic route.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plans to invest around Rs 482 crore (US$ 72.3 million) to strengthen the food testing infrastructure in India, by upgrading 59 existing food testing laboratories and setting up 62 new mobile testing labs across the country.
• The Indian Council for Fertilizer and Nutrient Research (ICFNR) will adopt international best practices for research in fertiliser sector, which will enable farmers to get good quality fertilisers at affordable rates and thereby achieve food security for the common man.
• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries announced a scheme for Human Resource Development (HRD) in the food processing sector. The HRD scheme is being implemented through State Governments under the National Mission on Food Processing. The scheme has the following four components
• Creation of infrastructure facilities for degree/diploma courses in food processing sector
• Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP)
• Food Processing Training Centres (FPTC)
• Training at recognised institutions at State/National level

 Road Ahead

Going forward, the adoption of food safety and quality assurance mechanisms such as Total Quality Management (TQM) including ISO 9000, ISO 22000, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) by the food processing industry offers several benefits. It would enable adherence to stringent quality and hygiene norms and thereby protect consumer health, prepare the industry to face global competition, enhance product acceptance by overseas buyers and keep the industry technologically abreast of international best practices.

References: Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Media reports and Press Releases, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Press Information Bureau (PIB), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Union Budget 2016-17, Union Budget 2017-18 ASSOCHAM and TechSci Research