APEDA Launches BHARATI Initiative To Support 100 Agri-Food Startups For Export Growth

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Sep 3 (KNN) The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) unveiled its new startup acceleration program BHARATI during a stakeholders meeting in the food and beverages sector.

The launch event was presided over by Union Minister, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, UAE Minister, Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, and Union Minister, Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan.

BHARATI-Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement-is designed to support 100 agri-food and agri-tech startups in their growth trajectory and export capabilities.

The initiative forms part of APEDA's broader strategy to achieve USD 50 billion in agri-food exports for its scheduled products by 2030, representing a significant policy push to strengthen India's agricultural export infrastructure.

The program will commence in September 2025 with its inaugural pilot cohort of 100 startups, encompassing high-value agri-food producers, technology service providers, and agricultural innovators.

The initiative targets multiple sectors including GI-tagged agricultural products, organic foods, superfoods, processed Indian agri-foods, livestock products, and AYUSH products.

Additionally, the program seeks to incorporate startups developing advanced technologies such as AI-based quality control systems, blockchain traceability solutions, IoT-enabled cold chain management, and agricultural financial technology.

The BHARATI framework aims to tackle systemic export challenges including product development, value addition, quality assurance, perishability management, waste reduction, and logistics optimisation.

The program will establish collaborative networks connecting agri-food innovators with technology solution providers and startups focused on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) compliance.

APEDA will conduct a nationwide outreach campaign followed by an application process through its official website beginning September 2025.

Selected startups will participate in a three-month acceleration program covering product development, export readiness, regulatory compliance, and market access strategies.

The authority plans to collaborate with state agricultural boards, agricultural universities, Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, industry associations, and existing accelerators to identify and support qualifying startups.

The pilot cohort is intended to establish a framework for an annual incubation program designed to drive sustained innovation and export growth.

(KNN Bureau)

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