AAHAR 2026 (40th): New Delhi B2B Platform Aims to Translate India’s Production Strength into Global Food Economy Opportunities
The 40th AAHAR trade fair in New Delhi on March 10, 2026 gathers over 1,800 exhibitors to connect India’s producers, processors and exporters with global buyers, focusing on processing, technology, packaging and market access to convert production strength into export growth.
AAHAR 2026, the 40th edition of the Asia-based B2B food and hospitality trade platform, was held in New Delhi on March 10, 2026. The event is presented as a long-standing marketplace that connects producers, processors, exporters, technology providers, hospitality leaders and institutional buyers from around the world.
Organizers and participants framed the edition as a continuation of a trusted trade platform and as a response to transformations in the global food ecosystem. The stated objective is to translate India’s production strength into economic opportunity through enhanced processing, technology adoption, improved packaging, logistics and expanded access to global markets.
The release highlights India’s agricultural production and export footprint: India supplies 24% of global milk production and 28% of world rice production; it accounts for 25% of global spice exports. Tropical fruit shares cited include 26% of bananas, 43% of mangoes and 37% of papayas. Despite these production shares, the event stressed the need for value addition and supply chain solutions to increase export value.
Recent export performance cited at the event included FY25 dairy exports of 113,350 metric tonnes valued at $493 million, an 80% year-on-year increase; spices exports of about 1.5 million tonnes worth $4.5 billion (around 25% of global spice exports); and rice exports of 21.55 million tonnes in 2025 valued at about $12.95 billion. Fruits and vegetables exports were reported at $1.82 billion in FY25. Pulses exports from January–November 2025 totaled 876,000 metric tonnes, with full-year projections near 1 million tonnes.
AAHAR 2026 featured over 1,800 exhibitors, including 155 international exhibitors from 17 countries, with Italy designated as Partner Nation. The exhibition covered processed foods, dairy and marine products, spices, organic produce, bakery and confectionery, machinery, cold chain technology, packaging and hospitality solutions, and included dedicated pavilions and networking for MSMEs and startups.
The event emphasized policy and program support for industry growth, referencing government schemes such as the Prime Minister’s Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for food processing, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for infrastructure. Organizers highlighted the food processing sector’s economic footprint: it accounted for 7.93–8.8% of manufacturing gross value added and 12.91% of organized manufacturing employment, while total agricultural and processed food exports reached about $49 billion in FY25 and agricultural exports represented 11.9–13% of India’s total export basket.
Sustainability and supply-chain efficiency were presented as priorities at the fair, including responsible sourcing, packaging improvements, logistics optimization, waste reduction, circular economy approaches and increased attention to organic and regenerative practices. The event was positioned as a business-to-business forum to link India’s production base with global buyers and service providers to drive value-added exports.