In a packed hall at Paris Nord Villepinte, Jawed Ashraf told a global audience that India’s smallest farmers now drive an agricultural transformation built on sustainability, resilience, and self-reliance. The declaration came as India stepped forward as Partner Country at SIAL Paris 2026, one of the world’s largest food trade exhibitions.
Ashraf chairs the India Trade Promotion Organisation, ITPO. He previously served as India’s ambassador to France from 2020 to 2024. His Paris return carried weight. More than 140 Indian exporters filled the national pavilion under the banner “Feeding Our Tomorrow,” with live cooking demonstrations and sessions focused on plant protein, rice exports, and women-led farming.
The moment matters beyond symbolism. Global food systems face mounting pressure from climate shocks, trade disruption, and inflation. Meanwhile, India already produces grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and seafood for roughly one sixth of humanity. Ashraf framed that capacity, paired with cleaner methods, as central to feeding a growing world.
Technology plays a starring role. Drones, sensors, AI, and IoT now help Indian growers manage water, fertiliser, and crop protection with far greater precision. Ashraf pointed to reduced chemical use and stronger traceability as core shifts. Female farmers sit at the centre of this story, especially during what the UN has named the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026.
Priyanka Rhushikesh Mohite embodies that shift. She travelled from Nashik, Maharashtra to Paris as a certified agricultural drone pilot. After hearing about the Namo Drone Didi Scheme through her husband, she trained for a month in Pune and has flown since August 2024.
Her numbers speak loudly. Irrigating one acre once consumed an entire day and 200 litres of water. Her drone now completes the job in seven to eight minutes using just 10 litres. Yet the personal transformation runs deeper. “I am a simple housewife,” she says. Becoming a pilot gave her an identity, community respect, and a platform to inspire others.
Trade connectivity anchors the broader narrative. The EU-India free trade agreement, concluded in January 2026 and expected for signature by year end, promises reduced customs duties and smoother cross-border commerce. Ashraf called it an enabler that exporters must now convert into deals. European investment in India has climbed from 80 billion to 140 billion in four years, while bilateral goods trade with France reached roughly €13.6 billion in 2025-26.
For food exporters, the next phase requires shifting from commodity volume to branded presence. That means meeting European standards, strengthening logistics, and showcasing premium packaged goods with geographical indication tags, such as Naga chilli and Mithila makhana. ITPO also weighs opening offices in Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, or Rotterdam.
The challenge remains scaling individual success stories like Mohite’s into widespread progress while cementing India’s place on European shelves.
