Speaking at an industry event, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that this could be done through a “plug-and-play model wherein common infrastructural facilities would be provided”.
She added that all of the 42 food parks either planned or under construction would become operational by 2019 at an investment of over Rs12,000 crore (US$1.8bn). They were devised as part of the government’s flagship “Make In India” policy to encourage manufacturing.
Badal also said has said that by allowing full foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail for food produced and processed in India, farmers would see their fortunes double due to increased investment.
She pointed out that although Indians spend on average 40% of their income on food, only 10% of what is grown in India is processed in the country.
This, she said, presented a significant opportunity for investors to enter the market, and would contribute to an eventual doubling of farmers' incomes by 2022 from manufacturers “chasing the farmers” for their produce.
Such investment would also go a long way to improve India’s supply chain by creating the necessary infrastructure for increased food shipments and reducing wastage, she said.