APEDA Concludes First Cohort of BHARATI Programme for Agri-Food Export Startups

📌 Summary:

• APEDA (under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry) concluded the first cohort of BHARATI, its flagship export-acceleration programme for agri-food innovation
• 100 startups from 22 States and 2 UTs were selected from 700+ applications: 68 agri-food product startups, 26 export-enabling tech/service providers, and 6 in SPS/traceability/quality-compliance
• A 120-hour acceleration covered export preparedness, market access, scaling, regulatory compliance, packaging, branding and investor readiness, plus mentorship and masterclasses
• The top 8 startups were taken to Gulfood 2026 (Dubai), where 100+ B2B meetings were held with international buyers
• Aligned to India's target of USD 50 billion exports in APEDA-scheduled products by 2030; cohort entrepreneurs ranged in age from 17 to 75

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Economy (food processing, agri-exports, startups, value addition) — innovation-led growth and global market readiness for agriculture.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• APEDA = Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry)
• BHARATI = Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Innovation
• Target: USD 50 billion in APEDA-scheduled product exports by 2030
• SPS = Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures; showcase at Gulfood 2026, Dubai

🔑 Key Term: SPS Measures — Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures: food-safety and animal- and plant-health standards governing agricultural trade under the WTO framework.