APEDA Unveils BHARATI Scheme to Supercharge India’s Agri-Food Exports
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has rolled out a new flagship initiative, BHARATI (Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement), to scale up India’s agricultural and food exports through the power of startups and innovation.
The programme, formally launched during the Food and Beverages Sector Stakeholders Meeting in New Delhi, was presided over by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in the presence of Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, and Chirag Paswan, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries.
A $50 Billion Vision for 2030
At the heart of the initiative lies APEDA’s vision of achieving $50 billion in agri-food exports of its Scheduled Products by 2030. The BHARATI platform has been designed to nurture 100 promising startups in its pilot phase, beginning in September 2025, spanning high-value agri-food producers, technology-led service providers and disruptive innovators in the food ecosystem.
Driving Innovation Across Agri-Food Value Chains
The programme will encourage startups working in organic foods, GI-tagged products, superfoods, novel processed items, livestock-based foods and AYUSH-linked products. Equally, it seeks to attract cutting-edge technology players in areas such as:
- AI-driven quality control
- Blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability
- IoT-based cold chain solutions
- Agri-fintech models
Startups with innovations in packaging, sustainability, and sea protocol logistics are also expected to benefit, addressing long-standing bottlenecks in perishability, wastage and export readiness.
Incubation & Partnerships with Premier Institutions
Shortlisted ventures will undergo a three-month acceleration programme covering export compliance, product development, market access and collaborative problem-solving. To strengthen the pipeline, APEDA will collaborate with IITs, NITs, agricultural universities, state boards, industry associations and accelerators, ensuring both scale and quality in the selection process.
Creating Globally Competitive Agri-Brands
The pilot cohort of 100 startups will serve as the foundation for a recurring, annual programme, enabling continuous innovation in India’s agri-food exports. Beyond helping startups, the initiative aims to build globally competitive Indian brands, drive demand-led backward integration and enhance the international profile of Indian food, beverage and processed products.
A Collaborative Push for Agri-Food Leadership
APEDA’s BHARATI scheme positions startups as catalysts for growth while directly addressing challenges of value addition, quality assurance, logistics and compliance. By creating a pipeline of export-ready ventures, India is strengthening its ambition of becoming a global hub for agri-food trade.
Applications for the first cohort will open in September 2025 via APEDA’s website, supported by a nationwide awareness drive to engage young entrepreneurs in agriculture and food processing.
