India-UK Collaborations and Investments in Food Supply Chain

India is one of the largest producers of a number of agriculture products in the world. The country ranks second in the production of fruits and vegetables in the world, after China. With a growing domestic population, India is one of the largest consumer bases of agriculture produce. However the actual availability of agriculture produce to Indian consumers is low due to huge wastages in the supply chain. Food supply chain is regarded as one of the priority sectors for the country and the Indian government is actively encouraging foreign investors to invest in sectors such as storage and warehousing, cold chain, packaging, skill development and research and development in food supply chain. The United Kingdom is a crucial partner for investments and collaborations in the sector.

Against this backdrop, the report examines opportunities for collaboration and investment by foreign businesses, particularly the UK companies in food supply chain in India. Based on a primary survey in India and in-depth meetings with stakeholders in the UK, this report identifies the barriers faced by the UK businesses and other foreign businesses in India and presents go-to-market strategy for the UK businesses and other foreign companies in India.

The report list the incentives, schemes and polices of the Indian government in five areas of food supply chain namely cold chains, storage and warehouses, packaging technology, skill development and R&D. It also makes policy recommendations on how to reduce wastage in the supply chain, benefit farmers, consumers and other stakeholders through modern supply chain technologies, and facilitate more investment inflows from the UK and other countries.