Continuing her mission to make a case for furthering trade relations between India and France , the Union minister for Food Processing Industries Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal today met senior French ministers and leading luminaries of industrial sector of France in paris. In her Meeting with Agriculture minister of France Stephane Le Foll , Mrs. Badal comprehensively discussed to extend mutual cooperation between the two countries in food processing sector. She said that India is emerging as a the leading player in the world in food processing sector with 37 food parks in the whole country including 3 in Punjab.Out of these three, first Mega Food Park at Fazilka has already become operational, while the other 2 would come up at Ladhowal in Ludhiana (promoted by Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd.) and Kapurthala. She further disclosed that the bold initiative of allowing 100 percent FDI in multi brand retail with 100 percent local sourcing condition will enable greater foreign direct investment that will result in a faster growth for the sector in India. She further said that this project would not only help the farmers, but would also generate job avenues for our youth.
She also divulged that Ministry of Food Processing Industries has identified creation of modern infrastructure for food processing as a core area to watch out for with ample scope for economic prosperity in the future.The Union minister also visited Metro cash and the Rungis market which is the principal market of Paris. It is the largest wholesale fresh produce market in the world. Admiring the concept, she expressed the strong need to exchange the expertise between the two nations in this novel concept.Mrs. Badal also met Jean Michel Soufflet President of Soufflet Groupe to discuss their future investment plans in India and to facilitate them in their existing India operations. She also said that not only food processing but the two countries can also take their economic partnership to an altogether new level by devoting specialized attention to the dairy and retail sectors also. She thanked the French companies for exhibiting keen interest in investing in India and hoped that increased trade relations would prove to be mutually beneficial to the economic structure of both the countries.