The four-day Vibrant Tamil Nadu - Food Edition 2018, a global expo and summit, intending to showcase the potential of the State in the food sector with the participation of entrepreneurs engaging in business activities - from farming to food processing, packaging and marketing - began here on Sunday.
Terming the conference as the first-of-its-kind in the country, modelled after Vibrant Gujarat summits, S. Rethinavelu, senior president, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TNCCI) and creative head of the expo and summit, said the expo showcased products that were manufactured in Tamil Nadu alone. Though there was no dearth of food processing industries in Tamil Nadu, including many start-ups and micro, small and medium scale (MSME) industries, the difficulty was to find a platform for their products, both nationally and globally. The expo, with more than 180 stalls and participation of delegates from more than 20 countries, will fill that vacuum.
Vibrant Tamil Nadu - Food Edition would henceforth be conducted every year in August. The expo would also be organised for other sectors, he said.
Inaugurating the event, A. Sakthivel, Regional Chairman, Federation of Indian Export Organisation - Southern Region, lauded the Vibrant Tamil Nadu team for bringing delegates from many countries. “They have conducted road shows in about 30 countries about the expo, which is not an easy task,” he said. Expressing confidence that the expo would help in energising the food sector in Tamil Nadu, he appealed to the participants to make maximum use of it.
Jagat Shah, president, Global Network, said the expo would not only provide scope in the import and export of products but also for new investments and joint ventures.
K. Thirupathi Rajan, Chairman, Vibrant Tamil Nadu - Food Edition 2018, said the team worked for nearly two years to make the first edition of the expo a grand success.
N. Jegatheesan, president, TNCCI, highlighted the role played by the chamber in bringing various infrastructure facilities to Madurai.
V.R. Muthu, Chairman, V.V.V. & Sons Edible Oils, and G.R. Balasubramanian, Founder and Chairman, GRB Dairy Foods, spoke.