**Executive Summary**
The SAPLING Dialogue 2026, held on June 10, 2026, in Ahmedabad, aimed to advance food processing for employment and sustainable growth across South Asia. Co-organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and the World Bank Group, the event emphasized regional collaboration and technology adoption. The dialogue concluded with a call for a concrete action plan to holistically develop the food processing sector.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Objectives**
* Strengthening resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems within South Asia.
* Positioning India as a global food processing hub through value addition and technology adoption.
* Advancing regional food processing transformation as both a national and regional imperative.
**Socio-Economic Priorities**
* Focusing growth on employment generation and farmer welfare.
* Prioritizing support for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs.
* Ensuring the benefits of sector growth reach rural communities and small businesses.
**Collaboration and Partnership**
* Leveraging multi-stakeholder partnerships between governments, industry, and development institutions.
* Fostering regional solidarity and cooperation among South Asian countries.
* Deepening the collaboration between MoFPI and the World Bank Group to translate policy ideas into impactful actions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and World Bank Group**
**Impact**
They are tasked with leading the regional initiative and strengthening their partnership.
**Action Required**
Collaborate to create and implement a concrete action plan for the holistic development of the sector.
**South Asian Governments and Policymakers**
**Impact**
They must view food processing as a critical regional imperative for economic and social stability.
**Action Required**
Engage in regional solidarity and translate dialogue deliberations into national policy actions.
**MSMEs, Startups, and Women Entrepreneurs**
**Impact**
They are identified as central pillars for food processing-led growth.
**Action Required**
Utilize flagship schemes and technological advancements to drive innovation and business expansion.
**Farmers and Rural Communities**
**Impact**
They are the intended beneficiaries of inclusive growth and value addition.
**Action Required**
Participate in the evolving food economy to improve welfare and benefit from localized processing opportunities.
Key Entities Referenced
SAPLING Dialogue 2026: A high-level regional policy dialogue aimed at strengthening resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems through value addition and technology adoption.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI): The lead Indian government ministry responsible for organizing the initiative and driving the regional food processing transformation.
World Bank Group: The international organization that co-organized the dialogue and partnered in developing a concrete action plan for the sector's holistic development.
South Asia: The central geographic region targeted by the policy dialogue for employment generation, regional collaboration, and food economy transformation.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries
SAPLING Dialogue 2026 Concludes with Call for
concrete action plan for holistic development of
the food processing Sector
प्रव तथ: 10 JUN 2026 7:50PM by PIB Delhi
The two-day Regional High-Level Policy Dialogue “SAPLING (South Asian Policy Leadership for
Improved Nutrition and Growth) Dialogue 2026”, jointly organized by the Ministry of Food Processing
Industries (MoFPI), Government of India and the World Bank Group concluded successfully on June 10,
2026 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The Dialogue, held under the theme “Unlocking Value: Advancing Food Processing for Employment
Generation and Sustainable Growth in South Asia”, brought together around 200 participants including
policymakers, industry leaders, international organizations, development partners, researchers, startups,
financial institutions, and representatives from South Asian countries to deliberate on strengthening
resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems in the region. The Union Minister for Ministry of Food
Processing Industries, Shri Chirag Paswan, while addressing the inaugural session, highlighted India’s
growing role as a global food processing hub and emphasized the importance of value addition,
technology adoption, and regional collaboration in transforming South Asia’s food economy.
Addressing the concluding session, Shri Avinash Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Government of India emphasized that food processing is not merely an economic opportunity but a
national and regional imperative for South Asia. Highlighting India’s commitment through its flagship
schemes and long-term development vision, he reaffirmed that India stands ready to serve as both a
catalyst and a committed partner in advancing regional food processing transformation. He further
underlined that food processing-led growth must focus on employment generation, MSMEs, women
entrepreneurs, and farmer welfare, ensuring that the benefits of growth reach rural communities and small
businesses.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, Shri Joshi stated that governments, industry, and
development institutions must work together to translate ideas into impactful action. He noted that the
SAPLING Dialogue has demonstrated the strength of multi-stakeholder partnerships in advancing resilient
and sustainable food systems across South Asia.
On behalf of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Shri Joshi expressed deep appreciation to the
World Bank Group and the entire SAPLING team for conceptualizing and co-organizing the Dialogue. He
also thanked the distinguished delegates from South Asian countries for their valuable contributions,
noting that their perspectives enriched the deliberations and reinforced the spirit of regional solidarity and
cooperation.
The two-day SAPLING Dialogue 2026 concluded with a strong call for a concrete action plan and deeper
collaboration between the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and the World Bank Group for
the holistic development of the food processing sector in South Asia.*****
CMC-MoFPI
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2271308) आगंतुक पटल : 357
इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu , ही , Tamil