The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched a major scheme called BHARATI, which aims to strengthen India’s agri-food startup ecosystem and increase the country’s global trading presence. The effort, known as Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement, and Incubation for Export Enablement, seeks to promote 100 startups by 2030 and achieve an ambitious export target of $50 billion.
APEDA, founded in 1986 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has been at the forefront of promoting India’s agricultural exports. With this new initiative, India hopes to establish itself as a major hub for innovation in food processing and export-driven agribusiness. Startups enrolled in BHARATI will go through a three-month accelerated program that includes export-ready training, regulatory guidance, product development strategies, and market access support.
The program focuses on technology-driven solutions, encouraging innovations such as AI-based quality monitoring, blockchain-enabled traceability, IoT-powered cold chains, and agri-fintech services for secure and efficient transactions. Startups are likely to focus on high-value areas like organic foods, GI-tagged products, livestock items, AYUSH-linked produce, and new processed Indian cuisines that appeal to global consumers.
BHARATI aims to strengthen supply chains and decrease waste by solving logistical, perishability, and quality assurance concerns.
