Co-located with Anuga Select India, the 20th edition of Anuga FoodTec India brought together, across both trade fairs 1,100+ exhibitors from 43+ countries and 53,000+ visitors covering the entire spectrum of food & beverage processing and packaging technology
Mumbai, October 2026: Marking a landmark milestone for the global food and beverage ecosystem, the 20th edition of Anuga FoodTec India 2026 and Anuga Select India 2026 concluded successfully at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. Organized by Koelnmesse Pvt Ltd, the co-located mega-trade fairs brought together over 1,100 exhibitors from 43 countries and attracted 53,000+ trade visitors, creating a powerful platform for business engagement, sourcing, technology exchange, and international partnerships across food products, ingredients, processing, packaging, automation, digitalization, and allied technologies. Supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India, and featuring the European Union (EU) as the Official Partner Region, the three-day event served as an international bridge connecting Indian enterprises with global markets, buyers, and technology pioneers.
The event witnessed a grand inauguration in the presence of key national and international dignitaries, including Ms. Martina Englhardt-Kopf, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, Germany; Mr. Silvio Erkens, Minister for Food Security, Fisheries and Horticulture, Netherlands; Mr. Petros Sourmelis, Minister Counsellor and Head of Trade & Economic Affairs Section, Delegation of the European Union to India; Mr. Devesh Deval, I.A.S, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India; and Mr. Milind Dixit, Managing Director – India & SAARC Region, Koelnmesse Pvt Ltd.
The successful co-location created a comprehensive platform connecting the entire food value chain – from food products, ingredients, and sourcing to processing, packaging, automation, and manufacturing technologies. By bringing these complementary sectors together, the exhibitions enabled industry professionals to discover innovations, explore business opportunities, strengthen partnerships, and engage with developments shaping the future of the global food industry.
For Anuga FoodTec India, the 2026 edition marked a significant milestone, celebrating the 20th edition of South Asia’s leading platform for food and beverage processing and packaging technology. The exhibition brought together 700+ exhibitors from over 30 countries, showcasing technological advancements and solutions shaping the future of food manufacturing.
Spread across four exhibition halls, the show floor was strategically organised to facilitate visitor navigation and focused business interactions. Halls 2 and 3 featured food and beverage processing, automation and digitalisation, while Halls 4 and 5 showcased packaging, cold chain and intralogistics solutions. This structured layout enabled visitors to connect efficiently with relevant technology providers, explore innovations across the value chain, and maximise business opportunities over the three days of the exhibition.
The event welcomed international participants from 43 countries, alongside leading Indian technology providers, reinforcing its position as an important meeting point for the global food processing and packaging industry. Exhibitors presented advanced machinery, automation systems and digital solutions aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, product quality, resource optimisation and sustainability across food manufacturing operations.
The presence of international Trade Ministers, senior government representatives, diplomats, and key industry stakeholders further elevated the exhibitions’ global profile, fostering diplomatic engagement, strengthening bilateral trade relationships, and creating new opportunities for business collaboration. The 2026 edition reinforced the platform’s role as a strategic meeting point for Indian and international food businesses to connect, explore new markets, showcase innovation, and build lasting partnerships.
Global Scale & Strategic Bilateral Partnerships
With international participation spanning 43 countries and regions including the EU, China, Brazil, Germany, Thailand, South Korea, Belgium, Turkey, Japan, and Vietnam; the platform highlighted India’s emerging dominance in global food processing. Discussions centered on India’s US$550-600 billion food market (growing at 6-7% CAGR) and the historic milestone of the newly concluded India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Ms. Martina Englhardt-Kopf, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity in Germany, noted “The conclusion of the India – EU Free Trade Agreement is an economically significant milestone, creating a market of around two billion people and liberalising trade covering 99.3% of EU and 96.6% of India’s trade value. Celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year, the new agreement creates immense opportunities for German premium foods while granting India greater access for value-generating products like tea, coffee, spices, and fisheries.”
Mr. Silvio Erkens, Minister for Food Security, Fisheries & Horticulture, Netherlands, added “India is an agricultural powerhouse, while the Netherlands is the world’s second-largest food exporter. Climate change and supply chain disruptions make international partnerships essential. ANUGA provides a vital platform to develop joint solutions for food safety, waste reduction, and resilient systems.”
Mr. Petros Sourmelis, Minister Counsellor & Head of Trade Section, Delegation of the EU to India, stated “With the FTA expected to enter into force around mid-2027, European food products recognised for safety, authenticity, and sustainability – can partner with platforms like ANUGA to build diversified, resilient food value chains.”
Policy Push: Driving Value Addition, Plant Proteins, and Startups
Central to this year’s agenda was strengthening farmer value realisation, job creation, and boosting processed food exports beyond current levels.
Mr. Devesh Deval, I.A.S, Joint Secretary, MoFPI, emphasized that food processing accounts for nearly 8% of GVA in manufacturing and is its second-highest job creator. He highlighted new initiatives, including a Centre of Excellence on Pea Protein at NIFTEM, Kundli, set up in collaboration with Canada to pioneer plant-based protein isolates.
Outlining APEDA’s strategic vision, Dr. Tarun Bajaj, Senior Consultant, APEDA, noted that India exported US$53 billion worth of agricultural and processed food products in 2025–26, placing the country among the top 10 exporters globally. Despite geopolitical challenges, key drivers such as rice, meat, marine products, coffee, tea, and processed foods continue to see steady growth – reflected in macro and micro infrastructure development, supportive government policies, and farmer performance. With value-added processed products currently accounting for nearly 30% of total agricultural exports, APEDA aims to double total exports over the next five years while substantially increasing the share of processed goods to boost domestic employment and value realization.
Technology on Display: From Processing Lines to Smart Packaging
Anuga FoodTec India 2026 showcased the technologies shaping the future of food and beverage manufacturing, bringing innovation closer to the industry professionals driving investment and operational transformation. From advanced processing machinery and automated production systems to AI-enabled inspection, smart packaging and digital manufacturing solutions, the exhibition presented technologies spanning the entire food processing and packaging value chain, including cold chain and intralogistics.
The exhibition provided plant heads, procurement professionals, engineers and technical decision-makers with a valuable opportunity to evaluate technologies, compare solutions and engage directly with manufacturers and solution providers. By facilitating face-to-face interactions and first-hand exposure to technological advancements, the platform supported informed investment decisions and encouraged industry dialogue on improving productivity, ensuring product quality, optimising operations and advancing sustainability across food manufacturing.
Mr. Clifford Edward, Vice President, Marketing, Parle Global Technologies, mentioned that Anuga FoodTec India has been an excellent platform for them this year, as they showcased their complete range of machinery, including KM Grand sterilisation systems from Thailand for bottles, pouches and cans, our flagship Parley Leepack machines from Korea, and cartoning machines. They witnessed strong footfall across all three days and a phenomenal response from customers seeking advanced technologies to improve product shelf life and address specific processing and packaging challenges. The quality of visitors and the opportunity to engage with prospective customers made the experience particularly valuable.
Ms. Vasanthy Rajamannar, Head of Marketing, Mettler Toledo, stated that the company was participating in Anuga FoodTec India for the fourth consecutive year and has been a wonderful experience for them. The company showcased their product inspection solutions, including X-ray, metal detection and checkweighing systems, alongside laboratory analytical instruments and moisture analysers. Strong interest was observed from the nutraceutical, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook segments. She also highlighted that the streamlined registration process helped the company connect with quality visitors and facilitate more meaningful customer interactions.
Driving Industry Dialogue and Added Value Beyond the Show Floor
Extending the experience beyond business meetings and technology showcases, Anuga FoodTec India 2026 featured dedicated knowledge and engagement platforms designed to encourage industry dialogue, facilitate innovation and deliver additional value to participants. These initiatives complemented the exhibition by bringing together expertise, emerging trends and practical industry perspectives.
Conference: Addressing the Future of Food Technology
The three-day conference brought together industry leaders, technology innovators, policymakers and business decision-makers for expert-led discussions on the developments transforming food and beverage manufacturing. Key themes included smart factories, artificial intelligence and robotics, Food Safety 4.0 and digital traceability, sustainable and energy-efficient manufacturing, smart packaging, and innovations in supply chain management and intralogistics.
Featuring 14 sessions and 65 speakers, the conference provided a platform for knowledge exchange, industry insights and discussions on emerging technologies and evolving business priorities. The integrated format enabled delegates to complement conference learnings with first-hand exposure to relevant technologies on the exhibition floor, connecting strategic discussions with practical solutions for the industry.
Speaking on Packaging by Design: Creating Packs that Protect, Perform & Persuade, Syed Fasihuddin, President – Projects & Operations, Desai Foods Pvt. Ltd. (Mother’s Recipe), highlighted the growing importance of sustainable packaging solutions and emerging industry trends.
“India has significant future potential in this segment, particularly as the food industry continues to evolve and embrace new packaging solutions and sustainability-led innovations. Anuga FoodTec India has been growing year on year, with increasing participation from across the industry. Having been associated with this sector for many years, I value the opportunity to share industry experience and exchange perspectives on platforms like this. If I had to describe Anuga FoodTec India in one word, it would be networking – it is a great platform for connecting with the industry.”
Innovative Packaging Challenge: Showcasing the Future of Packaging
For the first time at the exhibition, the Innovative Packaging Challenge, in partnership with SIES School of Packaging, provided a platform for emerging talent to showcase future-ready packaging solutions. Seven student teams presented innovative concepts, including sensor-based indicators to monitor food ageing, paper-based medicine organisers and edible oil pouches designed for direct use as pouring jugs. The initiative highlighted the creativity of the next generation of packaging professionals, offering students an opportunity to present their ideas to industry stakeholders and encouraging innovation in sustainable, smart and consumer-centric packaging.
New at AFTI: Showcasing the Latest Industry Innovations
The New at AFTI showcase brought the latest product launches and technological advancements into the spotlight, giving visitors a first-hand look at new machinery, processing technologies and packaging solutions introduced by exhibitors. Among the participating companies were DMN India Pvt. Ltd., Fluid Process Solutions, Rockwell Automation and Waukesha Cherry-Burrell™, highlighting the exhibition’s role as a launchpad for innovation and a meeting point for technology providers and industry decision-makers.
Discovery Tour by FoodTecBiz: Exploring Trust, Transformation and Technology
The Discovery Tour by FoodTecBiz offered visitors a curated journey across selected exhibitors, highlighting Anuga FoodTec India’s core themes of Trust, Transformation and Technology – from building safe, transparent and compliant food systems to accelerating sustainable manufacturing and powering the intelligent factory of tomorrow. Combining direct interaction with technology experts, an interactive QR-based challenge and a lucky draw, the initiative encouraged visitors to discover relevant innovations, exchange industry insights and engage meaningfully with exhibitors.
Commenting on the success of the exhibitions, Milind Dixit, Managing Director – India & SAARC Region – Koelnmesse Pvt Ltd, said:
“The 20th edition of Anuga FoodTec India marks a significant milestone in our journey of bringing global food technology innovations closer to the Indian industry. The successful edition reflects India’s growing importance as a market for food processing and packaging technologies, alongside the industry’s increasing focus on automation, digitalisation and sustainable manufacturing. Co-located with Anuga Select India, the exhibition created a comprehensive platform connecting technology providers, food businesses and industry stakeholders across the value chain.
As we look to the future, our focus is on further strengthening Anuga FoodTec India’s international reach, deepening strategic partnerships and introducing new opportunities for knowledge exchange and technology adoption. With India emerging as a key growth market for the global food processing industry, we aim to play an increasingly important role in connecting Indian businesses with global expertise, innovations and investment opportunities. We sincerely thank our exhibitors, partners, industry associations and visitors for their continued trust and support as we work towards shaping the future of the industry through Trust, Transformation and Technology.”
Looking Ahead
The successful conclusion of Anuga Select India and Anuga FoodTec India 2026 marks another significant milestone in Koelnmesse’s commitment to advancing India’s food and food technology industries. Building on the momentum of this edition, the focus will remain on expanding international participation, strengthening buyer engagement, deepening strategic partnerships, and delivering relevant content and experiences that create measurable value for exhibitors and visitors.
As the exhibitions evolve, the emphasis will be on connecting global expertise with India’s growing market opportunities, accelerating technology adoption, encouraging innovation, and facilitating meaningful business collaborations across the food value chain. Through a combination of international business networking, knowledge-led conferences, innovation showcases and industry engagement, both platforms will continue to support businesses in exploring new markets and responding to emerging industry needs.
Looking ahead, Anuga Select India and Anuga FoodTec India aspire to play an increasingly influential role in shaping a connected, competitive and future-ready global food ecosystem, reinforcing India’s position as a key destination for food business, technological advancement and international collaboration.
Koelnmesse – industry trade fairs for the food technology sector: Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising trade fairs in the field of food and beverage processing. Anuga FoodTec, ISM Manufacturing (formerly ProSweets Cologne) and ISM Ingredients are established, world-leading trade fairs, hosted in Cologne/Germany. In addition to the events at its Cologne headquarters, Koelnmesse also stages further food technology trade fairs with different sector-specific areas of focus and content in key markets across the world, including Brazil, Colombia, India and Italy. These global activities enable Koelnmesse to offer its customers bespoke events and leading regional trade fairs in a variety of markets, thus creating the foundation for sustainable international business. Koelnmesse is also ideally positioned in the field of food and beverages with its leading international trade fairs Anuga and ISM and its global network of satellite events.
Further information: https://www.anugafoodtec.com/trade-fair/anuga-foodtec/anuga-foodtec-worldwide/
