Events

Food Forum India: Redefining the Indian food business

The Food Forum India, the largest congregation of key, global and Indian, food retailers, manufacturers, organisations and minds in the food business will be held from May 6 - 7, 2008 at Renaissance, Mumbai. It will span the vast array of food business segments like food retail, food design, food processing, food logistics & support, food services, information & technology.

Conceptualised at the India Retail Forum (IRF), which saw the participation of leading brands, retailers and retail support organisations from across the globe, Food Forum India (FFI) was launched under the chairmanship of Subodh Kant Sahai, Union minister for food processing industries, with some 50 captains of the food world joining in to take up a series of support initiatives for the Indian food businesses.

The exhibition space covers all aspects of the food retail supply chain and has different exhibition zones such as Food Bites, Beverages, Food Support, Food Design, Food Space and Food Concepts.

Conferences

Several conferences will be held during the event.

Food Inspirations

The ability to do things differently has been one of the prerequisites to large scale success. Captains of successful food businesses will share their experiences and give insightful interpretations of the food industry.

Food Innovations

New ideas, products and concepts. Discussions on some of the most important innovations that have gained maximum popularity over the years. A look at possibilities for the near future.

Food For Thought

Presentations of leading global research and studies that are shaping the food industry today. Leading global food research and consulting firms and organisations will deliberate on key issues that guide the food business.

World Food Experience

The global market is today witnessing a mushrooming of numerous ideas and innovations that are radically altering the shape of businesses around the world. Focus will be on international ideas and insights, and include sunrise products from around the world and their implications for the Indian market.

Food Fight

Interaction between retailers and producers is of great importance to ensure the maintenance of an efficient chain that facilitates development of the industry as a whole. Food retailers and producers will debate on vital issues to determine the way ahead for the food industry in this session.

Investments In The Food Sector

Trade commissioners of key countries, governmental and regulatory bodies, international and domestic investors and corporates will debate upon investments in food processing, retailing, support and infrastructure.

Future Of Food In India 2020

National and international vision leaders and key players of the industry will foresee the future of the business of food in India, and present some of the astounding possibilities of the future.

Awards

The Images Golden Spoon Awards (IGSA) to be announced at the event will honour enterprise, innovation and achievement in the business of food. Industry captains will celebrate excellence in the food business at a glamorous ceremony that will be the grand finale of Food Forum India.

The IGSA awards will be benchmark of excellence, that all food businesses will aspire for, thus playing a vital role in the in the progress of the industry.

Food and grocery accounts for 63 per cent share in the Rs 1,330,000 crore (US$ 300 million) Indian retail market. Only one per cent of this segment was organised in 2007. Food, grocery and beverages constitute about 43 per cent of India's private final consumption expenditure, and yet only 11 per cent of organised retail market in 2006.

Opportunity in food and grocery

The Urban Middle Class continues to grow by 20-25 million annually. The population is young, better exposed to modern lifestyles, and has a preference for packaged food and beverages. This growing Indian Middle Class, especially the employed youth in the ITES, BPO and other Service sectors, have higher propensity to consume, fuelled by easy availability of credit due to popularization of plastic cards.

More than 1,000 Food and Grocery outlets operational across tier-I and tier-II cities and Retail space of over 3 million sq. ft. have come up for F&G supermarkets, department stores and hypermarkets. 25 major F&G Retailers emerged in less than a year and Retail sales in this segment grew by nearly 150 per cent over 2006.

Opportunity logistics

Improved logistics, warehousing, state-of-the-art technology and availability of quality processed and packaged food are factors that will boost the growth of organised F&G retail in India. Indian corporates like ITC, Godrej, DCM Shriram have initiated the process of direct supply linkages with the farm. Global major Metro AG was the first to introduce up-to-date know-how logistics and supply chain management. Corporate major Reliance is investing heavily on this front. Wal-Mart too plans back-end operations with Bharti.

Investments to the tune of US$ 23.5 billion in the food processing sector over the next three years is in the pipeline. This will undoubtedly create a huge demand for the food processing and packaging industry.. But keeping in view the vast farm sector and the surmounting demand for quality food products, there remains room for much more.

Opportunity in food processing

Nearly 80 per cent of agricultural produce in developed countries gets processed and packaged. It is just about 1.3 per cent in the case of India - a reason why less than one per cent of the F&G retail segment is organised. Even the existing organised F&G Retailers are finding it difficult to keep their stacks full & fresh.

This is just the right time for global firms to invest in the food processing sector, especially so when the government seems eager to boost rural/farm incomes. Marine Food Parks and Agricultural Special Economic Zones are already being worked out to ensure that farmers are not displaced. The opportunity is huge.. and early movers will reap the maximum advantage.

Opportunity to boost the incomes of Indian farmers

Organised F&G retail requires direct sourcing of bulk produce and this ensures a boon for farmers. Initiatives thus far, are proving the point as traditional mandis loose relevance, middlemen get eased out, and as a result there is substantial increase in the income of farmers. Adverse effects of fragmentation of land holdings can also be effectively countered. Initiative and Investment by Global companies can help make Cluster farming, Demand oriented farming and Raw material oriented farming the mainstay for Indian farmers. India could well become the agri-business powerhouse in the export of fruits, vegetables, spices and food grains.

Opportunity for food and farm supplies

More than 5,000 new outlets, 100 hypermarkets, 500 department stores and 2000 supermarkets are opening. Over 5,000 small and big existing outlets are to undergo a complete facelift. But the supplies are inadequate. Organised retail in India will need fresh and processed food and farm produce worth US$ 30 billion by the year 2010.

F&B (servicing) retail in India

Home-grown as well as international restaurant chains present in both high street locations and malls represent the organised food and beverages (F&B) services retail sector. This sector is in its growth phase and offers opportunities across a variety of retail formats. The Indian F&B services sector is estimated to be worth Rs 70,000 crore in 2007, at current prices, out of which about Rs 5,750 crore is accounted for by the organised sector. This is roughly 8.2 percent of the market being organised as compared to just 6.9 per cent of the market being organised in the previous year. This F&B services sector has increased its share from 4.7 per cent of the total of Rs 1,200,000 crore retail market in 2006 to about 5.26 per cent of the Rs 1,330,000 crore retail market in 2007, as per preliminary estimates by Images F&R research.