Opportunities in Food Processing Industry in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is one of the most industrialized states in the country. Mumbai and Pune, the two big cities in the state are the major manufacturing hubs in India. However, Maharashtra is also one of the forerunners in terms of agricultural produce. The state of Maharashtra is blessed with nine agro-climatic zones, typical monsoon climate and diverse weather conditions that pave the way for the cultivation of different agriculture crops. Read: Best Manufacturing Business Ideas in 2021 Some of the major crops produced in the state include rice, jowar, pulses, pearl millet, soybean, sugar cane, groundnut, cotton, sunflower, etc. Mango, pomegranate, grapes, guava, banana, tomato, onion, citrus, papaya, orange, etc. are some of the major fruits and vegetables in Maharashtra.  Nashik, known as the grape capital of India, contributes to more than 50% of the grape exports of India. Maharashtra is one of the top producers of fisheries in the country. The state produced around 634 thousand metric tons of fish in the FY 2018. Maharashtra’s strong presence in agriculture and abundant availability of raw materials provide a base for the food processing industry in the state.  Food processing has been identified as one of the thrust sectors by the state government in Maharashtra Industrial Policy-2019.

Advantage Maharashtra  

• Maharashtra is the largest contributor to India’s economy
• 9 agro-climatic zones and 720 km of coastal line
• 2^nd largest population in India
• Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, is home to major corporate companies and financial institutions in the country
• World-class infrastructure, abundant availability of raw materials and human resources
• Robust logistic facilities, connectivity with all major cities in the country

Govt. Initiatives

The Government of Maharashtra provides a lot of incentives to the food processing sector in order to promote the food processing industries in the state.

• 5% interest subsidy on loans for fixed capital investment for 5 years
• Stamp duty and registration fee exemption
• Electricity duty exemption
• 50% land-related concession
• 5% subsidy on capital equipment for technology upgradation

The government also provides financial assistance for new plant setup, modernization and expansion of the food processing industries. Fruits & vegetables, milk and dairy products, poultry, meats, fishery, rice milling, pulse processing, etc. are the sectors eligible for the scheme.

Infrastructure

Maharashtra has eight food parks at Nagur, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Latur, Osmanabad, Nasik, Nanded and Ratnagiri with world-class facilities for cold storage, advanced packaging, warehousing, test laboratory, etc. Maharashtra also has three wine parks and three floriculture parks. While there are immense opportunities for the food processing industry in Maharashtra, starting a food processing business is not an easy task. Entrepreneurs planning to enter into the food processing industry face several challenges in technology adoption, liquidity, marketing, etc., owing to lack of domain expertise. So, it is advisable to take help from expert food consultants before starting a food processing industry. If you are planning to start the food processing industry and looking for food consultants in Mumbai and food consultants in Pune then kindly register with SolutionBuggy and get help from industry experts. SolutionBuggy helps entrepreneurs address their challenges in setting up their food processing plant in running the business. SolutionBuggy’s trusted and verified food consultants in Mumbai provide a wide range of services such as market research, product identification, product ideation, development, plant setup, technology adoption, funding, shelf-life improvement, R&D, business development, sales, marketing, supply chain management, etc. Till date, SolutionBuggy completed more than 44 projects in Maharashtra in the food processing industry. An entrepreneur from Maharashtra was planning to setup a food processing and start the manufacturing of frozen foods and bakery products like toast, baked khari, doughnuts, etc. He was looking for the food consultants in Mumbai who can help him with the product identification and product development. SolutionBuggy assisted him in identifying and developing the product through its network of food consultants in Mumbai. Register Now!