Indian Food Industry is considered to be occupying about two thirds of the total Indian retail market. In the world, India is the second largest producer of food after China. Food and food processing technologies are developing gradually. In addition to that, numerous modern skills and advanced equipment have taken place in industries such as Canning, Dairy and Food Processing, Specialty Processing, Packaging, Frozen Food, Refrigeration and Thermo Processing.
Ranking of Indian Food Industry
The country has achieved the potential of being the biggest with the food and agricultural sector. The country is concentrated in the production of various types of fruits and vegetables which indeed contours the structure of the Indian food industry. Among the sub-sectors of Indian Food Industry, fruits and vegetables industry have achieved the second largest producer of vegetables in the world next to China.
Fruits and Vegetable Production in India
India is an agriculture based country and accounts for about 15 percent of the world"s production of vegetables. Vegetables are typically grown in India in field conditions. The current production level in the Indian subcontinent is over 71 million MT and the total area under vegetable cultivation is around 6.2 million hectares. Vegetables such as potato, tomato, onion, cabbage and cauliflower report for around 60 percent of the total vegetable production in the country. These fruits and vegetable industries manufacture health food as well as health food supplements are rapidly improving segment of this industry, which is gaining vast popularity amongst the health conscious population of the country.
Non-Agricultural Production in India
Meat and poultry is one of the fastest growing segments of the agricultural sector in India at present. In this industry, the production of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 8 to 10 percent per annum. India is the 5th largest egg producer and the 18th largest producer of broilers in the world. Fisheries also have gained popularity as a major Indian Food Industry. India is the third largest producer of fish in the world.
Dairy Production in India
Milk and milk products have also gained popularity. India is the largest producer of milk in the world. In India both the production and consumption of milk and its derivatives are traditionally high in the country. Amul is regarded to be the largest food product business in the country.
Spice Production in India
Plantation Industry is among the prominent Indian Food Industry. There are about 9500 spices from medicinal plants and aromatic plants that are produced in the country. India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and the major spices being produced include black pepper, cardamom, ginger, garlic, turmeric and chilli.
Related Food Industries in India
In the Indian food industry, the consumer product groups like confectionery, chocolates and cocoa products, Soya-based products, mineral water, high protein foods are also on a high rise. They form the most promising sub-sectors of Indian food industry. Beverages are also included in the industries. Besides these, grain processing and Grain-milling has a position.
In spite of being one of the major food producers in the world, India is credited for less than 1.5 per cent of international food trade. The Indian food industry has the highest number of plants approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outside the USA.