High-level policy dialogue to advance South Asia’s food processing industry kicks off today in India

• South Asian region’s agricultural sector exceeds $ 700 b annually, employs 43% of workforce but generates only 16% of GDP
• Secretary to Prime Minister and Trade and Food Ministry and private sector firms among participants from SL

By Nisthar Cassim in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

The South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth (SAPLING) high-level policy dialogue will kick off in Ahmedabad, India, today (9) in a major push to promote collaborative effort to overcome common challenges in the region.

Led by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Gates Foundation, SAPLING over the next two days brings together around 200 participants from governments, the private sector, innovators, investors, researchers and academia, and development partners.

Around 16 persons from Sri Lanka are attending, including Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Assistant Secretary Mihiri Tennakoon, and Trade, Commerce and Food Security Ministry Secretary K.A. Vimalenthirarajah, as well as representatives from private sector firms Dilmah, John Keells Holdings, Nestlé, and the Daily FT. Sri Lanka hosted the policy dialogue last year in Colombo.

Titled ‘Unlocking Value: Advancing Food Processing for Employment Generation and Sustainable Growth in South Asia,’ the event is a rare opportunity to report from the heart of one of the region’s most influential food systems conversations. 

Participants will discuss and shape the future of food processing in the region. The dialogue promises substantive policy announcements, high-level debate, and knowledge sharing. It is hosted by India’s Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

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The dialogue aims to help South Asian countries identify scalable, affordable, investment-ready, and innovation-driven solutions that can align policy reform, private capital, technology, micro, small and medium enterprise (MSMEs), and value chains to create more sustainable growth and jobs.

According to the World Bank, jobs are the most powerful driver of poverty reduction and economic transformation. Across the world, 1.2 billion young people will reach working age in the next decade, while far fewer jobs are projected to be created. 

South Asia sits at the centre of this global shift. Yet one of its largest sectors – agriculture – illustrates the challenge clearly, the World Bank said.

It estimates the size of the South Asian region’s agricultural sector exceeds $ 700 billion annually and agriculture employs 43% of the workforce but generates only 16% of GDP. The World Bank also stresses that South Asia has the fundamentals of a global food systems leader.

Alongside the main sessions, a curated Innovation Fair will run throughout the event, showcasing cutting-edge solutions in food processing — from smart cold chains and digital traceability to sustainable packaging and advanced storage — offering compelling stories and visuals.

SAPLING is a regional platform led by the World Bank Group to accelerate the transformation of resilient, nutrition-focused food systems across South Asia. It convenes governments, private sector actors, innovators, researchers, and development partners to advance policy reform, mobilise investment, and scale technology and innovation that strengthen food systems, improve nutrition outcomes, and enhance climate resilience.

Aligned with the World Bank Group’s AgriConnect initiative, SAPLING serves as a regional engagement and partnership platform that supports greater private sector participation in food system value chains and helps unlock investment for sustainable growth. Through its three thematic pillars, SAPLING fosters dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, enabling countries to identify and advance scalable, investment-ready, and innovation-driven solutions for the future of food systems in South Asia.