Business
Indias Organic Food Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 20.13% To USD 10,807 Million By 2033: Experts
New Delhi: India’s food processing sector today stands as a vital pillar of the economy, contributing 7.7% to the country’s manufacturing output and providing livelihoods to more than seven million people. Valued at USD 535 billion by 2025–26, the industry is being propelled by rising domestic consumption, growing exports, and government initiatives under the ‘Make in India’ programme. Within this ecosystem, the food ingredients market alone is expanding at a healthy CAGR of 7–8%.
With artificial intelligence, automation, and smart packaging reshaping the way food is processed and delivered, India is positioning itself as a potential global hub for food products, packaging materials, and machinery. Experts highlighted that consumers today are ready to pay a premium for quality organic foods as health awareness is taking centrestage in people’s lives.
Speaking at the 19th edition of Fi India co-located with 7th edition of ProPak India, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said “The Indian food processing sector is undergoing a transformative phase, driven by rising health consciousness, growing preference for organic and plant-based foods, and a notable shift in dietary patterns. With the organic food market projected to touch Rs 75,000 crore by 2025, and a majority of consumers willing to pay a premium for healthier alternatives, the industry is seeing rapid expansion across fruits, vegetables, and plant-based offerings.”
Experts said that food ingredients form the backbone of the food sector, with packaging playing an equally critical role in ensuring safety and quality. Dr. Meenakshi Singh, Chief Scientist, Technology Management Directorate, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), said “Supported by schemes like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI), the industry is witnessing strong growth. CSIR, through its 37 R&D labs nationwide including scientific testing labs and those focused on food ingredients, continues to drive innovation in food ingredients and packaging, while FSSAI has mandated safety checks, placing responsibility on all stakeholders to ensure compliance. In 2025, FSSAI’s focus on stricter labeling, organic food standards, and consumer awareness is shaping industry practices at a time when India’s organic food market has already reached USD 1,917 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20.13% to USD 10,807 million by 2033.”
Strengthening food processing is critical, as it directly enhances farmer incomes-supporting nearly 68% of India’s population-and adds value through exports, said the experts. Ingredients such as turmeric, exemplify the dual role of Indian spices in promoting both taste and health, contributing to lower rates of mortality during Covid and neurological disorders compared to global averages.
Dr. Prabodh Halde, Chairman, Chamber for Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses (CASMB), said, “India’s food processing and ingredient industry holds immense strategic importance in the current global geopolitical scenario, with the market already valued at $8-9 billion and steadily expanding. Growth is being driven by Ayurveda, herbal, organic products.”
India’s food processing industry today stands as one of the largest globally, accounting for 32% of the nation’s total food market. It contributes nearly 14% of manufacturing GDP, 13% of exports, and 6% of total industrial investments, highlighting its pivotal role in the economy. According to a Deloitte-FICCI report, the sector contributes 7.7% to India’s overall manufacturing output while supporting more than 7 million jobs directly and indirectly. Beyond its economic weight, the industry is instrumental in driving rural industrialisation, reducing post-harvest losses, and positioning India as a key hub for processed and value-added food products on the global stage.
New Delhi: As per RBI holiday list, bank branches will be closed for certain days on account of Diwali and related festivities like kali puja, kati bihu, Bhai dooj, across the nation. Bank branches in several cities will be closed on account of Diwali Balipratipada today, 22 October 2025.
When will bank branches be closed over the next few days?
Bank branches will be closed on various accounts in different parts of the country on various days between 21 and 23 October for Diwali festivities. Here’s the detailed list.
Banks will be closed for Diwali (Bali Pratipada)/Vikram Samvant New Year Day/Govardhan Pooja/Balipadyami, Laxmi Puja (Deepawali) on October 22 in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar.
Banks were closed in Assam for Kati Bihu on october 18. In several cities –Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir–banks were also closed for Diwali Amavasya (Laxmi Pujan)/Deepawali/Govardhan Pooja on October 21
Bhai Bij/Bhaidooj/Chitragupt Jayanti/Laxmi Puja (Deepawali)/Bhratridwitiya/Ningol Chakkouba: October 23
In the remaining days of October, banks will be closed for the following festivities
Chath Puja (Evening Puja): October 27
Chath Puja (Morning Puja): October 28
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Birthday: October 31
Apart from the above bank holidays, the second and fourth Saturdays, Sundays of the month are falling on the following dates:
Sunday: October19
Fourth Saturday: October 25
Sunday: October 26
Holidays of the mentioned days will be observed in various regions according to the state declared holidays, however for the gazetted holidays, banks will be closed all over the country.
If you keep a track of these holidays, you would be able to plan bank transaction activities in a better way. For long weekends, you can even plan your holidays well.
Business
Asian stocks today: Markets slide as US-China tensions intensify; HSI falls 1%, Nikkei sheds over 260 points – The Times of India
Asian equities slipped on Wednesday as investors took a step back following recent gains, while gold and silver tumbled for a second straight day, halting their recent rally. The pullback came after US President Donald Trump suggested that a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping might not go ahead. Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila all fell. Tokyo also saw a decline, with profit-taking after a strong rally triggered by Japan’s easing political tensions.Nikkei was down 269 points or 0.55%, reaching 49,046 after conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected as Japan’s new prime minister.Hong Kong’s HSI trimmed 342 points or 1.32% to trade at 25,684. Shanghai and Shenzhen also slipped 0.44% and 0.81%, respectively.Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi traded flat, adding 3 points to reach 3,827 at 9:26 AM IST.In commodities, gold, which has surged more than 60% since the start of the year and hit multiple records, fell sharply. At one point on Wednesday it dropped to $4,000 an ounce, down from Tuesday’s record peak of $4,381.51. Silver, which has been riding gold’s rally, also fell. The gold rally had been driven by a weaker dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts, falling bond yields and central bank buying. Lingering concerns about the global economy and a fear of missing out also boosted its safe-haven appeal. Trump’s remarks added to market caution. He said on Tuesday that he expected a “good” trade deal with Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea next week. “I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people that are waiting for it.” He then added, “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty’. But it’s really not nasty.”
Jonah FisherEnvironment correspondent
Getty ImagesFining English water companies for spilling raw sewage will soon become quicker and easier, the government has said.
New proposals would see automatic fines of up to £20,000 issued for some minor offences and make it simpler to punish more serious ones.
In recent years data from the water industry’s own monitoring equipment has shown how frequently rules are broken around sewage spills. But the regulator, the Environment Agency, has by its own admission struggled to act.
“I want to give the Environment Agency the teeth it needs to tackle all rule breaking,” said Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, announcing the proposals.
“With new, automatic and tougher penalties for water companies, there will be swift consequences for offences – including not treating sewage to the required standard, and maintenance failures,” she said.
The plans will be put to a six-week public consultation starting on Wednesday.
The English water companies welcomed the proposals, with a spokesperson for trade body Water UK saying: “It is right that water companies are held to account when things go wrong.”
Getty ImagesFor the most serious pollution offences, the enforcement system remains the same. The EA has to take water companies to court and prove to a criminal standard that an offence has been committed “beyond a reasonable doubt”. If that prosecution results in a conviction the company could have to pay a large fine, possibly in the millions of pounds.
The new proposals are focused on more minor offences which happen frequently and have in the past gone largely unpunished.
The plans would see automatic financial penalties of up to £20,000 introduced for rule breaches such as failure to report a significant pollution incident within four hours, failure to report spill data properly or if emergency overflow outlets discharge sewage more than three times in a year.
For some more serious offences the government wants to make it easier for the EA to take action.
So it’s proposing that the burden of proof be reduced from “beyond all reasonable doubt” – the norm for criminal proceedings – to “on the balance of probabilities”, which is used in civil cases. The fines which the EA can impose without going to court could be increased to a maximum of half a million pounds.
The reduced burden of proof for some offences is already written into law, having been part of the Water (Special Measures) Act which received Royal Assent in February 2025. This six-week consultation is to determine which offences should be included, and the level of the fines.
“Fines of £500,000 are pocket change to billion-pound companies like Thames Water,” says James Wallace, the CEO of campaign group River Action.
“Higher penalties and urgent, wholesale reform are essential to prevent negligent firms polluting our rivers and short-changing their customers.”
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