Anuga Select India

Food companies step up value-added products, retail expansion as India’s processed food market grows

At Anuga 2026, Indian food and beverage brands highlighted major investments in value-added products, modern processing, and nationwide distribution to meet rising consumer demand for convenience and premium offerings.

India’s food and beverage industry is seeing companies increase investments in value-added products, modern manufacturing and wider distribution networks as changing consumption patterns create demand for convenience and premium food products.

The trend was visible at Anuga Select India 2026 and Anuga FoodTec India 2026, held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. Organised by Koelnmesse, the three-day event brought together more than 1,100 exhibitors from 43 countries and over 45,000 trade visitors across food processing, packaging, automation and related segments.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) said the food processing sector grew at an average annual rate of 6.55% during the nine years ended 2023-24. A recent MoFPI assessment also estimated that the organised consumer food industry could grow 13-15% in FY26, supported by snacks, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products.

VRS Foods, which operates Paras Dairy, said it is expanding its presence in the consumer and institutional cheese segments. The company showcased its Galacia Cream Cheese along with its existing cheese portfolio. “At Anuga 2026, we were pleased to showcase Paras Dairy’s growing portfolio and our focus on addressing the evolving needs of India’s dairy and FMCG sector,” Gajinder Nagar, joint managing director, Paras Dairy (VRS Foods Ltd) said.

Nagar said the company has invested more than Rs 100 crore in its cheese business. He added that the company sees opportunities in the growing cream cheese category as consumers and food-service businesses increasingly seek value-added dairy products.

Lyallji Food (India) said it is expanding across retail, wholesale, exports and restaurants. The company plans to increase its restaurant outlets to four while expanding its snack manufacturing capacity. “We are also expanding our existing snack unit for potato chips and other snacks, while setting up a separate nearby facility for roasted bread, rusk, and cookies,” Rohit Karwanda, founder and director, Lyallji Food said. The company has also entered frozen snacks and said it aims to grow its business around fivefold over the next five years.

Chitale Dairy said it is using trade exhibitions to develop export and merchant-exporter partnerships. The company is expanding beyond Maharashtra into markets including Goa, Karnataka and Indore. Radhika Gupta, export manager, Chitale Dairy, said “The company is also broadening its portfolio with products such as mango pulp, dessert mixes and South Indian breakfast mixes”.

The expansion comes as India’s processed food industry continues to benefit from urbanisation, changing consumption patterns and greater demand for convenience products.

Press Coverage By:financialexpress.com