About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):
- APEDA is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.
- The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).
- It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- Objective: To develop and promote the export of scheduled products.
- The products specified under the APEDA Act are called scheduled products, and exporters of such scheduled products are required to register under APEDA.
- Examples of scheduled products: Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Poultry Products. Dairy Products, Confectionery, Biscuits, Bakery Products, Honey, Jaggery, etc.
- APEDA is responsible for providing financial assistance, information, and guidelines for the development of scheduled products.
- In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the import of sugar as well.
- APEDA also functions as the Secretariat to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for the implementation of accreditation of the Certification Bodies under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for Organic exports.
- Functions:
- Setting the standards and specifications for the scheduled products.
- Registration of exporters of the scheduled products on payment of required fees.
- Improving packaging and marketing of the Scheduled products.
- Carrying out an inspection of products to ensure the quality of such products.
- Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the scheduled products.
- Development of industries relating to the scheduled products and undertaking surveys, feasibility studies, etc.
- Collection of statistics from the owners of factories or establishments and publication of such statistics.
- APEDA is headed by a Chairman appointed by the Central Government.
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- APEDA has set up 15 Regional Offices at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Telangana, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Chennai, Kochi, Tripura, Srinagar, Jammu, and Ladakh.
Key Facts about BHARATI Startup Challenge:
- BHARATI—short for Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement, and Incubation for Export Enablement was launched by the APEDA to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural and processed food export sector.
- The initiative aims to support export-ready startups by providing mentorship, market access, and policy facilitation.
- The top 10 startups emerging from the challenge will be provided international exposure through participation in Gulfood in Dubai and BIOFACH in Germany, enabling them to explore global market opportunities and strengthen India’s agri-export ecosystem.
