Double-Engine Power: UP Sets Sights on Becoming India's Leading Food Processing Hub

Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya inaugurated the 11th edition of the India Food Expo 2026 today at Regalia Greens, near 1090 Crossing, Lucknow. He toured the exhibition stalls set up by various companies and entrepreneurs, interacting with business owners and women entrepreneurs in the food processing sector to learn about their products, business models, production processes, and experiences. The three-day event is taking place from September 18 to September 20, 2026.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya stated that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the double-engine government is driving investment, innovation, and technological advancement to inject new momentum into UP's food processing sector. Continuous efforts are underway to empower the rural economy and increase farmers' income through the value addition of agricultural produce.

He noted that Uttar Pradesh holds immense potential for investment, industrial expansion, job creation, and providing broader market access to local products. The goal is to build UP into a premier food processing center by seamlessly integrating agriculture with industry. Food processing ensures better prices for farm produce, opens market links for farmers, and accelerates rural employment and entrepreneurship.

The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized that a business-friendly environment is being fostered in the state. The government aims to bring farmers, entrepreneurs, youth, and women's self-help groups into a robust food processing value chain. This will spur local production, processing, packaging, branding, and marketing, taking state products to major domestic and global markets.

Highlighting women's role in the rural economy, Mr. Maurya mentioned that connecting women's self-help groups to food processing is rendering them economically independent. Processing and branding local items—such as pickles, packaged food, and millet-based products—are opening up new avenues of entrepreneurship for rural women.

He added that youth possess vast entrepreneurial potential. By encouraging modern technology, innovation, and a startup culture in food processing, the government aims to transform young people into job creators rather than job seekers.

Combined implementation of central and state schemes—including the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), PMFME, and One District One Product (ODOP)—is bolstering the sector by providing capital, technology, training, branding, and market access. In line with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Vocal for Local', the state continues to push local products onto global stages ('Local to Global').

Through its Food Processing Industry Policy, the UP Food Processing Department offers incentives such as capital grants, interest subsidies, and stamp duty exemptions. The setup of mega food parks, cold chain networks, and agro-processing clusters is strengthening the supply chain from farm to market. The expo also exposes entrepreneurs to smart packaging, automation, e-commerce, and global supply chains.

To accelerate social and economic empowerment, the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme is linked with the State Rural Livelihood Mission. This links women's SHGs directly to processing, packaging, and branding, increasing rural market access and boosting women's incomes.

Role of Industry and Trade in Viksit Bharat 2047: Keynotes delivered by IIA National President Dinesh Goyal and All India Traders Association President Sandeep Bansal on the role of MSMEs and food processing.

Role of Financial Institutions: Discussions involving SIDBI GM Jai Kumar Gupta, SBI DGM-SME Sandeep Prakash, and other experts regarding financial aid and scheme execution.

Idea to Scale - Building Successful Food Business: Panel discussion covering scaling strategies, business innovation, and market expansion.

The event saw attendance from key officials and leaders, including Principal Secretary (Labor) Dr. M.K. Shanmuga Sundaram, Special Secretary (Food Processing) Rajkamal Yadav, IIA National President Dinesh Goyal, IIA Senior Vice President Alok Agarwal, IFX Chairman Vikas Khanna, Co-Chairmen Vaibhav Agarwal and Vidhu Gupta, IIA National Secretary Rajiv Bansal, and SBI Chief General Manager Dipesh Raj.