India can become one of the largest fruit and vegetable exporters in the world and can equally be a large importer given its demographic diversity. This strong footing in agriculture provides a large and varied raw material base for food processing.

There should be technology upgradation, quality management, firm adherence to export commitments and acquisition of appropriate negotiation skills. Many non-traditional vegetables mainly processed & gherkins and others like asparagus, celery, bell pepper, sweet corn, green and lime beans and organically grown vegetables are also being increasingly exported.

India’s exports of Processed Food was Rs. 8975 Crores in 2007-08, which including the share of products like Mango Pulp (Rs. 509.69 Crores), Dried and Preserved Vegetable (Rs. 429.94 Crores), Pickles and Chutneys (Rs. 250.62 Crores), Other Processed Fruit and Vegetable (Rs. 712.20 Crores), Pulses (Rs. 549.01 Crores), Groundnuts (Rs. 1054.08 Crores), Guargum (Rs. 1125.75 Crores), Jaggery & Confectionary (Rs. 2810.68 Crores), Cocoa Products (Rs. 42.26 Crores), Cereal Preparations (Rs. 677.35 Crores), Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Rs. 338.56 Crores) and Miscellaneous Preparations (Rs. 474.47 Crores).

The Indian food processing industry is primarily export oriented. India’s geographical situation gives it the unique advantage of connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea. One such example indicating India’s location advantage is  the value of trade in agriculture and processed food between India and Gulf region.