Seetharaman Raghupathi says that with 17 million farmers across 2,35,000 villages, dairy cooperatives return 75 per cent of the consumer rupee
Noting that India’s food processing sector is projected to be among the fastest-growing industries in the coming years, Seetharaman Raghupathi, Executive Director of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has said has stated that dairy contributes 25 per cent of India’s food and beverage sector.
“India’s food and beverage sector is growing rapidly, backed by 180 million hectare of arable land, food processing valued at Rs 75 trillion, and food expenditure making up over 40 per cent of consumer spend,” Raghupathi said during the inaugural event of Anuga FoodTec India and Anuga Select India 2025.
The Executive Director added that With 17 million farmers across 2,35,000 villages, 35 per cent of whom are women, dairy cooperatives return 75 per cent of the consumer rupee, channelling Rs 2.1 billion daily into the rural economy. Initiatives like White Revolution 2.0, which aims to establish 75,000 new cooperatives by 2028–29, will further boost this growth.
India’s food processing and ingredients sector is growing at 8.8 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR), projected to double by 2030, while food-tech outpaces global benchmarks at 14 per cent CAGR. Food processing equipment market in India is projected to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2033, packaging machinery to cross USD 6.6 billion by 2030, as per the official statement.
