As India seeks to push agricultural exports beyond the record $50 billion achieved in FY22, buyers from Canada, the UK, Vietnam, Nigeria and Kenya will participate in South Asia’s largest expo of food and hospitality that New Delhi will host next week, officials said.

India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), a public sector undertaking under the commerce and industry ministry, has introduced a buyer programme in its flagship B2B event Aahar, to get buyers from countries that have recently signed or are in talks to ink trade agreements with India.

The 36th edition of Aahar will be held from April 26-30 in New Delhi. “We expect 80-100 buyers to participate in the buyer programme,” said Vibhu Nayar, executive director, ITPO.

The thrust of the initiative is to get buyers from countries that have recently signed trade agreements with India, he added.

New product categories such as dairy, marine products and nutraceuticals have been added to this year’s event.

Nayar said around 20 players in the dairy sector are participating and would showcase technologies related to milk preservation and products like high-end yogurt. A vertical on wines and spirits is likely to be created going forward.

About 42 foreign exhibitors from 11 countries such as the UK, UAE, US, Canada and Sweden are participating.

Overall, the number of exhibitors has increased to 1,125 from 750 in 2020, while the gross area sold is 70,000 square meters compared to 40,000 sq m earlier.

ITPO also plans to have farmer companies at the show so that they can share best practices, available technologies and value-added products with Indian firms.

“We have reached out to the World Bank as they handhold such companies and are offering them free space,” Nayar said. Startups, too, have been invited, he added.