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Strengthening farmer-led agribusiness Maharashtra showcases rural enterprises
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Wednesday, 14 January, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Maharashtra’s farmer-led institutions marked a significant milestone in agribusiness development with the participation of 10 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) at IndusFood 2026, Asia’s largest export-oriented food and beverage exhibition. The event was held at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, recently. The CBOs participated under the SMART (Balasaheb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation) Project and the Village Social Transformation Foundation (VSTF).
The participation highlighted a strategic shift in rural development interventions—from a focus on production support to enabling structured market access, value addition, and global integration for Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) and rural enterprises. The Maharashtra pavilion showcased a diverse portfolio of products, including primary processed agricultural commodities, value-added food products, and organic produce, reflecting the growing commercial maturity of farmer collectives supported through institutional frameworks.
IndusFood 2026 offered participating organizations direct exposure to international buyers, importers, and trade facilitators, enabling meaningful business-to-business interactions. Discussions focused on export compliance, quality assurance, packaging standards, branding, and logistics, laying the foundation for sustainable market linkages. These engagements are expected to reduce dependence on intermediaries and enhance income stability for small and marginal farmers.
Senior leadership from the SMART Project and VSTF provided strategic guidance during the exhibition. M J Pradeep Chandran, IAS, Project Director, SMART; Dr. Rajaram Dighe, CEO, VSTF; and Uday Deshmukh, Assistant Project Director, SMART, were present along with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra, underscoring the state’s commitment to market-driven rural transformation.
Palladium Consulting India Pvt. Ltd., the Project Management Consultant for the SMART Project, coordinated the participation under the guidance of Chandrakant Mali, Nodal Officer, PIU–VSTF. Beyond on-ground coordination and branding support, Palladium will facilitate post-event buyer engagement to ensure conversion of business leads into tangible outcomes.
Recognised as India’s premier platform for food and beverage exports, IndusFood attracts buyers from over 80 countries. Maharashtra’s presence at IndusFood 2026 reinforces the evolving role of development programmes in enabling farmer collectives to compete in global markets through convergence of policy support, capacity building, and private-sector linkages.
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