Speech of the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Inauguration of the 27th India International Trade Fair

Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry,

Dr. D.D. Lapang, Chief Minister of Meghalaya,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very happy to be amidst all of you today on the occasion of the birthday of Pandit Nehru and extend my greetings to the children. I am delighted to be present at the inauguration of the 27th India International Trade Fair (IITF), which is the largest exposition of its kind in Asia. The IITF has proved to be an effective showcase for Indian trade and industry. I am glad to see the impressive turnout by representatives of Indian and foreign business organizations on this occasion.

Years ago, India embarked on a course of economic reforms aimed at opening up our economy in a progressive manner; encouraging foreign investments, upgrading technology, augmenting and strengthening infrastructure development, promoting industrial growth and increasing exports.

Our economy is now witnessing an accelerated growth rate. Industry is seeing a phase of considerable growth particularly in automobiles, pharmaceuticals, consumer durables, telecommunications, electronics, biotechnology and information technology sectors. It should be our endeavour to sustain this growth and ensure that it is socially inclusive, particularly for the disadvantaged and the marginalized sections. We must also ensure that every region participates in and benefits from the process of economic growth that is transforming our nation.

I am happy to note that the theme for the India International Trade Fair 2007 is "Processed Food and Agro Industries". The agriculture scenario in the country is gradually looking up. Our agricultural exports increased last year by around 20 percent over the previous year and its contribution to the overall exports of the country is now around 7 percent. Although India is one of the largest food producers in the world, only 2 percent of the total food production is processed, which is a negligible amount. Processing of agricultural goods, significantly adds value to agricultural produce and we look at it as a strong emerging sector in India. The Government has declared the food-processing industry as a priority sector for India. Our strong agricultural base provides a large and varied raw material source for the food processing industry. The food processing industry should be encouraged to set up small and medium scale units closer to agricultural production centers. That would be useful in generating employment in rural areas and would also be beneficial to the food processing industry in terms of ensured availability of good raw materials and savings on transportation costs.

This theme, "Processed Food and Agro Industries", is of special relevance globally too, as we are grappling with the formidable task of eradicating hunger and poverty from our planet. Efforts towards sustainable agriculture can be greatly augmented with the help of advances through research in agricultural technology as well as bio-technology and extending the findings of research to the field. We must also make our policies and programmes flexible and conducive to gender considerations in all areas of agricultural research, education and extension; since, nearly 60 percent of farm labour in India is women. The pioneering role played by women in the preservation of topsoil and forests is well recognized. Therefore, we need to catalyze agricultural growth through holistic agricultural development strategies that should include women. Using processed food for the Government's Mid-day Meal Scheme for children is a possibility. Agricultural produce specific to the area could be utilized, its food value enhanced by adding nutrients and women could be engaged to prepare healthy, hygienic and ready-to-eat meals for children.

As a nation we have always believed that the world is one and humanity is a single family. India is committed in its resolve to foster friendly ties with the nations of the world and together with the international community, work towards a united and prosperous world. The India International Trade Fair is one of the fora to achieve these objectives. I am informed that business houses from as many as 44 countries are participating in the fourteen-day event. I am also delighted to learn that SAARC nations are participating as 'Partner Countries' in the Fair. The promotion of intra-regional trade and investment will contribute significantly to the economic and social development of the SAARC region as a whole.

I hope that this Trade Fair gives a glimpse of the various products that are competitive and consumed in both national and international markets. The Trade Fair should also display innovative technologies available in farm equipment, storage and food processing. In addition, the Trade Fair could be a platform for working out partnerships for investment, business and technology sharing in the food-processing and agro-industry sector.

I would like to take this opportunity to compliment the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) for organizing a fair of this magnitude with its wide canvas of activities and products. The ITPO has played the role of a catalyst and facilitator in increasing exports through its events in India and abroad.

Before concluding, I would like to wish participants both from home and abroad all success in their business endeavours.

With these words, I take great pleasure in inaugurating the 27th India International Trade Fair.

JAI HIND