Fresh Produce India, India’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable conference event, is back in Mumbai next year, taking place at the Trident Nariman Point on 23-25 April 2015.
Organised by Asiafruit in association with The SCS Group, Fresh Produce India is the must-attend event for industry professionals engaged or interested in the rapidly growing Indian market.
Since launching in Hyderabad in 2007, the two-day conference event has moved around the country, shuttling between Mumbai and Delhi from 2009 to 2012 before branching out to Bangalore (2013) and Pune (2014) over the past two years.
Speaking at the close of this year’s event in Pune, which was attended by more than 200 delegates from India and 20 other countries around the world, Nitin Agrawal, managing director of leading Indian table grape exporter Euro Fruits, said Fresh Produce India is now 'the one platform that brings together all Indians from the fresh produce business.”
Returning to Mumbai in 2015, Fresh Produce India is expected to attract another strong turnout of the movers and shakers in the Indian trade, as well as much greater numbers of international delegates.
The five-star Trident Nariman Point Hotel is located in the heart of the India’s vibrant commercial capital, which remains the hub of the country’s fresh fruit and vegetable trade.
After kicking off with a Welcome Reception on the evening of Thursday 23 April, Fresh Produce India’s conference programme gets under way on 24 April when a leading figure from India’s wider business world addresses delegates on the keys to success in this vast emerging economy.
Focus on the big issues: food retail, food safety
Separate high-powered panel discussions are then scheduled to debate two big issues for the Indian business today. The first looks at the current status and future outlook for food retailing in India under the title ‘Who is winning in India’s retail jungle?’ While India’s food retail sector is notoriously complex to navigate, some players are beginning to make headway. The hour-long session brings together a panel of top retailers, suppliers and industry experts to look at the renewed impetus for modern food retailing in the country, spotlighting some of the success stories and the keys to their gains.
Food safety is an increasingly important issue for Indian consumers, government authorities, producers and export customers. In the third session – ‘Food safety first: how is India tackling the issue?’ – a panel of experts in the field looks at the changing regulatory climate domestically and internationally, and at mounting consumer consumers over food safety within India. They explain what it all means for industry stakeholders, and recommend how best to respond.
Growth opportunities: berries & Russia
After a 90-minute Networking Lunch, Fresh Produce India resumes with sessions spotlighting two exciting potential growth areas for the Indian business.
The first is berries, a category witnessing standout growth in international markets, but as yet undeveloped in India. In a session entitled ‘Berries: a healthy future for India’, international experts in berry breeding and marketing explain the potential benefits of berry crops for India’s smaller-holder farmers. They also look at the opportunities and challenges to developing the berry category for consumers in India.
The second is Russia, a market showing even greater interest in Indian fresh fruit and vegetable imports in the wake of this year’s ban on imports from Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and Norway. Leading buyers and experts from the Russian market explain how Indian exporters can make more of the opportunities.
The final session of Fresh Produce India focuses on Europe – looking at what’s new that the region has to offer India’s fresh fruit and vegetable business. While Europe is a long-established market and trade partner for India, there are still many untapped opportunities for trade and collaboration. From new sources of apple supply to new supply chain technologies, the wide-reaching session explores some of the most exciting options.
Stand out at Fresh Produce India Expo
Opportunities to network with buyers, suppliers and service providers abound at Fresh Produce India. The conference brings together around 250 key decision makers from throughout the domestic and international fresh produce business, and the from every step of the value chain, providing a unique forum for networking and exchanging new ideas and information.
Delegates get ample opportunities to meet and do business in the relaxed and opulent surrounds of the Trident Nariman Point Hotel, both throughout the conference and during the lengthy networking breaks at Fresh Produce India Expo.
Fresh Produce India Expo showcases some of the latest and leading products and services for the Indian market, with exhibitors finding a direct route to their target audience.
Study tour programme
The final day of Fresh Produce India features a programme of organised visits to leading wholesale and retail operations in Mumbai. Delegates have the opportunity to see first-hand some of the best examples of fresh fruit and vegetable retailing in Mumbai, as well as visiting the city’s bustling wholesale market.
For more information or to register for Fresh Produce India, go to: www.freshproduceindia.com
