About Us 
AIFPA Bulletin Board  
Registration  
Online Magazine 
Information 
 
Search Member  
General Articles (excerpts from Indian Food Packer Magazine)

 

Food For Thought - Is It Digestible?

 
 

V H Potty Chairman,
Diversified Food Technology (India)
#5(New) S V Road, Yadavagiri Mysore - 570 020

 
 


Global processed food industry has just touched the Rs 1.6 million crore bench mark and is growing at a decent pace well ahead of other manufacturing sectors. In contrast, India, boasting of population almost one fifth that of the world, is reported to have a "marketed" food business worth Rs 1.4 lakh crore, if the value of output by primary processing sector with very low value addition is also taken into consideration. The size if Indian food industry is estimated at 5-6 lakh units and involved really in some form of processing of one material or the other. In commodity processing, top 3 companies in the world account for Rs 3.23 lakh crore while our best company NDDB can boast of a paltry Rs 2,000 crore turn over annually. Top 6 companies in the world involved in value addition in foods through branded products have an annual business volume of Rs 6.47 lakh crore, while our best 5 companies accounted for only Rs 4,750 crore. In retailing business, 6 major global companies report Rs 3.34 lakh crore business, while in India, we do not have a major player leaving the retailing to millions of scattered vending outlets mostly single ownership entities. Average size of a company in the first 20 major food processing industries in USA/Europe is in the range of Rs 14,000-40,000 crore. In India, the corresponding figure is hardly Rs 500 crore.

 
 


Following points need to be recognized giving as much food for thought.

 
 
  • Value of India's farm production of agro-livestock is equal to that of USA though slightly less than that of China.
  • India's manpower is rated one o the best, if not the best, in the world.
  • India's varied weather conditions are considered congenial for high productivity at the farm level; yet our productivity in most sectors is ridiculously low inspite of Green and White Revolutions.
 
  (For full articles please refer to Indian Food Packer Magazine)  
                  << Previous                                         Next >>