New Delhi, May 19: In a significant step towards strengthening India’s fight against hidden hunger and micronutrient deficiencies, Millers for Nutrition powered by TechnoServe, in association with the CII Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence (CII FACE), today convened leading policymakers, food industry leaders, millers, nutrition experts and development sector stakeholders at the National Convening of Staple Food Industry Leaders for Developing a Roadmap on Scaling-Up Staple Food Fortification held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
The national convening emerged as a key national platform for fostering industry-wide collaboration and building a pragmatic roadmap to accelerate large-scale adoption of fortified staple foods across edible oil, rice and wheat flour categories. The discussions focused on strengthening industry participation, improving consumer awareness and trust, expanding retail and commercial adoption, and creating sustainable market-driven solutions to address malnutrition and hidden hunger in India.
Speaking at the convening, Mr. Monojit Indra, Senior Practice Leader, TechnoServe and Program Leader, Millers for Nutrition Asia, said, “India has made important progress in advancing staple food fortification, but addressing hidden hunger at scale will require deeper collaboration across the food industry ecosystem. This convening has helped create stronger alignment between industry leaders, development partners and policymakers to accelerate the adoption of fortified staple foods and build sustainable pathways for nutrition impact.”
A key outcome of this national convening was the collective recognition that food fortification must evolve from a policy-led intervention into a mainstream industry movement supported by innovation, consumer engagement and stronger ecosystem partnerships. Stakeholders deliberated on the need for enhanced technical support for millers, improved accessibility of fortified foods, greater industry alignment on quality standards, and collaborative efforts to build consumer confidence around fortified staples.
Commenting on the significance and outcomes of the initiative, Mr. Abhishek Shukla, Country Program Manager, Millers for Nutrition India, said, “The discussions at the convening reaffirmed that fortification could play a transformative role in strengthening nutrition security in India. The collective commitment demonstrated by stakeholders today reflects a growing momentum towards scaling fortified staples through market-led approaches, industry partnerships and increased consumer awareness.
The convening brought together senior government representatives and industry leaders including Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director (Science & Standards), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Shri Siraj A. Chaudhry, Former Co-Chair, CII National Committee on Nutrition; Mr. Vidyashankar Satyakumar, Head, Research and Development, AWL Agri Business, Mr. JT Chary, Managing Director, Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetables and Shri Bharatarsabha Prabhu, National President, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, among others.
The discussions highlighted the growing role of the private sector in integrating nutrition into mainstream packaged food products and scaling commercially viable fortification solutions capable of delivering long-term public health impact. The convening concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, promote fortification excellence, support capacity-building efforts for food processors and millers, and further develop actionable pathways for scaling fortified staple foods across India.
