Gulfood 2016, a major food and hospitality trade event in the region, kicked off at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) which is being attended by small and medium entrepreneurs from India.
Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the event on Sunday. The Minister was also accompanied by the industrialists from India.
Dr Sangam Kurade, President of Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME) is also a part of the visiting delegation.
The show, which will run until Thursday, was opened By Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry.
Gulfood features more than 5,000 companies and 117 pavilions, and is expected to draw more than 85,000 visitors from more than 170 countries, including international heads of state, ministers, government officials and national trade associations.
“The show facilitates multimillion dollar transactions as the global food industry meets, networks, sources new products and trades out of Dubai,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President at DWTC, the organiser of Gulfood, in a statement.
Exhibitors at Gulfood said that they are looking for business opportunities in the region.
“We’re always open to new people that want to see us. And most years we pick up one or two new guys around the region,” said Darren Verrall, Group General Manager of Australian Lamb Company.
Thomas Paterson, Chief Executive of Scorpio Foods, said that he wants to “do a lot more business” in the region.
“Every time I come here I learn something new and go home and try and make products to suit the market,” he said.
The show spans in excess of 1.29 million square feet of exhibition space .Inviting investors to India, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal had said that food regulatory mechanism is moving from licensing to the registration regime, ensuring ease of doing business.
The government is committed to facilitating and encouraging investment in India into Food Processing Sector and providing an environment which is smooth, transparent and easy for investors wanting to start an enterprise in India, Badal said.
Delivering the key note address in the Food and Beverage Business Forum of the GulFood Conference 2016 in Dubai, Badal invited investors to invest in India in Mega Food Parks and Cold Chains and other food processing value chains, where ready infrastructure awaits them.
UAE is second largest export destination for India’s exports and third largest trading partner with current bilateral trade at a level of US$ 60 Billion.