Shillong, Sept 17: With an eye on catalyzing, opening up, stimulating and promoting the nascent food processing sector of the State, the Government of Meghalaya, through the newly created Directorate of Food Processing and the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship (MIE) will be participating in the SIAL India 2019 Food Innovation Show, New Delhi as a Partner State with the objective of bringing together, showcasing and introducing the rich bounty of Meghalaya’s natural food and processed food products to a national and global audience from the 19th to the 20th of September 2019.
Internationally, SIAL, headquartered in Paris, is regarded as one of the biggest food innovation networks and the most important platform in the world for international food business and as the country is poised to become the world’s number one market ahead of China, SIAL India is expected to welcome more than 8000 B2B visitors and 200 top buyers from all over the globe.
To tap into this emerging market the Government of Meghalaya has identified Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as crucial growth drivers of the economy, especially in the services, tourism and food processing sectors, and in this context SIAL India 2019 is a golden opportunity for the State’s SMEs to become part of the larger global economy by being exposed to, experiencing and accessing not only the latest in Food Tech, but also to meet new business partners, attract investments into the state and unlock the doors of overseas markets for Meghalaya’s farmers and entrepreneurs who will be able to sell their fruits, vegetables and other agriculture and processed food products globally.
The presence of Meghalaya in SIAL India 2019 is going to be marked by exclusive branding, signages and a 200 square meter custom designed State Pavilion titled ““Meghalaya On the Move” which will be showcasing the processed food products of 21 of the top food processing entrepreneurs of Meghalaya. Of these, two of the State’s products, Bee Natural Honey and COSIA Lime and Honey drink, have been shortlisted for the prestigious SAIL food innovation awards 2019 to be announced on the 19thSeptember.
Additionally and in a tribute to Meghalaya as a Partner State and as part of the North East India’s focus of Comexposium,Paris, owner of the SIAL brand and its Indian partner M/s Inter Ads Exhibitions, SIAL India 2019 will be inaugurated by Union Minister, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan in the presence of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Shri. Conrad K Sangma from the Meghalaya Pavilion itself.
A dedicated panel discussion on the ‘Opportunities and challenges of food processing SMEs as growth drivers of the North Eastern economy” will also be held in which the Chief Minister himself will participate.
As Meghalaya stands on the brink of ‘Transformational Food Processing’, SIAL INDIA 2019 will also be the curtain raiser for Meghalaya as the next food innovation destination of the country as it prepares to host the state’s first and biggest Food Exhibition and Show to be called the “North East Food Show by Meghalaya & SIAL” in December 2019.
