After a Welcome Reception on the evening of 24 April, Fresh Produce India’s high-powered programme kicks off on the morning of 25 April with a keynote presentation from Nitin Puri, global head of food and agribusiness strategic advisory and research at Yes Bank.
India’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector is beginning to see exciting investments throughout the value chain, many of them driven by startups. Yes Bank, India’s fourth largest private bank, is heavily focused on food and agribusiness, publishing authoritative reports on the sector, as well as providing advisory and finance services for startups and other companies.
Puri opens Fresh Produce India with his expert analysis of the investment trends, opportunities and challenges. “We’ve recently seen a lot of new startups come into the sector offering disruptive solutions in a range of fields,” said Puri. “I’ll look at the whole picture, including developments in ag-tech, linking up farmers, storage technologies, retail and e-commerce solutions and fin-tech.”
After the keynote session, Fresh Produce India Expo opens, showcasing a range of products and solutions for delegates to take in. Running alongside the expo is a programme of informative workshops for delegates to choose from.
India is home to one of the world’s youngest and most dynamic consumer bases. In the session ‘Marketing India: shoppers want more’, one of Zespri’s leading global marketing executives discusses the group’s ‘omni-channel’ approach to building the kiwifruit category in India.
Himanshu Arora, Zespri’s general manager for a range of markets including India, South-East Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East, shares his expert insights on consumer marketing. Arora, who is based in Zespri’s global hub in Singapore, will discuss Zespri’s strategy and success with social and digital media in India, as well as its marketing efforts in traditional and modern retail channels.
India’s fruit import market is developing at a rapid clip, with newer products and supply origins finding a foothold. Poland is emerging as an exciting sourcing opportunity for Indian buyers, and not just for apples. Dominika Kozarzewska, president of Polskie Jagody (Polish Berries) – a member of the Polish Berry Cooperative – explains what Poland can offer the Indian market – particularly when it comes to blueberries – in the session ‘Imports: where next for India?’
India is attracting growing global interest from the fresh fruit and vegetable business, and the first pair of workshops will explore international involvement from different perspectives. ‘Chain reaction: global solutions’ looks at some of the technologies available to help India upgrade standards and improve supply chain integration, from post-harvest treatments to grading and packaging solutions. Meanwhile, in the session ‘Partnerships: build for success in India’, key international players will discuss the work they’re doing on the ground in India with local partners.
Other workshops examine India’s export opportunities, looking at how suppliers can differentiate their offering to better meet changing consumer demands, and at moves to modernise India’s farm production and fresh produce supply chain.
After a gala cocktail reception on the evening of 25 April, Fresh Produce India concludes on 26 April with a day of organised visits to some of Mumbai’s leading food retail and wholesale operations.
Since launching more than ten years ago, Fresh Produce India has become the annual meeting point for India’s fresh fruit and vegetable business, regularly attracting over 250 decision makers from the domestic and international trade.
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