“Spices unite India. Spices of India resonate across the country and reflect the rich traditional culture and heritage along with our well-known trading power. We have to once again bring back the old charm that Indian spices had across the world. India doesn’t settle for second best anymore. We have to become a world leader in the Spice Industry” said Union Minister for Commerce & Industry,  Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal. He was the keynote speaker at the World Spice Congress being held at Navi Mumbai from the 15^th to the 17^th of September 2023. He also presented the Spices Export Excellence Awards for 2019-2020 and 2020-202 at the ceremony.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Shri. Goyal, emphasized on the need to expand the spice industry through value addition to exports. He urged the industry stakeholders to work together to achieve a target of 10 billion dollars for exports by 2030 from the current 4 billion. He stated that achieving the target would require everyone to work together with  focused energies to capture newer markets through increased value addition along with expanding existing markets. Shri Goyal also suggested that the 35 million people of Indian origin residing across the world be made brand ambassadors to encourage increased consumption of Spices across the world.

The Minister urged the Spice industry to strive towards inclusivity and ensure support to farmers for adequate production. Shri Goyal also spoke on the importance of creating a certified brand value for Indian spices.

Addressing delegates from other parts of the world, the Minister stated that he was delighted  by their participation and appealed to them to enjoy Indian hospitality while also concluding successful business collaborations. 

Shri Goyal congratulated the award winners and hoped that they will continue their remarkable performance, high standards and set the bar higher in the future so that Bharat gets recognized all over the world.

The Minister congratulated the Spices Board on conducting the Spice Congress after a hiatus of 7 years and also requested it to organize a world class exposition, symposium and conference of the spice industry in Delhi in the year 2024.  He asked the Board to invite all the  players in the industry for the event and allow the world to see India’s capabilities.

In conclusion, Shri Goyal noted that there was no better time to conduct this Congress than on the sidelines of the Indian presidency of G20. “The launch of the India - Middle East - Europe Economic Corridor is similar to the Spice Route of the past. So we should be actually looking up to this new initiative that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched along with other world leaders.  This is an appropriate opportunity for us to bring back the glory of the old Spice Route. It is an opportunity to celebrate the flavors of India and the versatility the country offers. Let us go to capture world markets. Just like life is incomplete without celebrations, food would be incomplete without spices. We should make this an essential ingredient across the world. The story of Indian Spices should be talked about and written about all over the world. Let us see how our grandmother’s remedies can be remedies of the world. Lets make India the preferred source of spices and capture the imagination of the rest of the world. If we all work together as a team we can spice up the world of commerce and exports. Let us delight the world with the magic of spices and let us preserve this magic for future generations” appealed the Minister to those present on the  occasion.

Also present on the occasion were Shri. Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Additional Secretary, Government of India & Chairman, Spices Board, Shri. Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Additional Secretary & Director General of Foreign Trade, Government of India, Shri. D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, Shri. Basisth Narayan Jha, Director (Marketing), Spice Board, industry professionals, producers, traders, processors, exporters and regulators worldwide.

The inaugural function was followed by the launch of a book called 'Spice Revolution - Promoting Value Addition in Global Spices Trade' along with the product launches, business discussions and Tech Talks.  They provided a platform for the companies to spotlight the innovative products, brands and services related to the spice industry. The second day of the event concluded with a cookery show, which was an intriguing experience for the visitors. The 14th Congress edition brings together diverse participants, including policymakers, regulatory bodies, spice trade organisations, government representatives, and technical specialists from different nations. The event saw over 1000 delegates from India and across the world. They have come together to discuss the issues and opportunities within the worldwide spice trade.

The World Spice Congress 2023 has also curated an experience zone. It is an innovative take on the exhibitions for the delegates and participants to get a holistic feel of spices related to the gustatory, olfactory, and visual senses. The zone, located at a prime location at the World Spice Congress, gives a hands-on experience to visitors in the universe of spices.

About WSC:

World Spice Congress (WSC), the conglomeration of the global spice industry, has become the most apt platform to deliberate the concerns and considerations of the sector over its three decades long presence. Organized under the leadership of Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India with support from various trade and export forums, the World Spice Congress provides opportunity to get to know the sector in a better way. Trade, sustainability, quality and food safety initiatives, recent developments, concerns and future prospects are discussed and deliberated in detail by the key players of the industry- the producers, traders, processors, exporters and regulators from across the world.

About Spice Board India:

Spices Board (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India) is the flagship organization for the development and worldwide promotion of Indian spices. The Board is an international link between the Indian exporters and the importers abroad. The Board has been spearheading activities for excellence of Indian spices, involving every segment of the industry. The Board has made quality and hygiene the corner stones for its development and promotional strategies.

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NJ/PK

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