Indore: Here is food for thought. The country’s sweets and namkeen business has touched a staggering Rs 1 lakh crore mark despite challenges this sector faces due to ban on plastic packaging. Of the total business, Indore does a business of Rs 5,000 crore, posting a growth of 18 percent.

Federation of Namkeen and Sweets Manufacturers president Virendra Jain stated this while inaugurating the two-day World Sweets and Namkeen Convention at Brilliant Convention Centre here on Wednesday. Over 2000 delegates from across the country are taking part in the convention. Jain and other speakers spoke on bright prospects and challenges faced by the industry.

Those present on the occasion included Vikas Jain, president of MP Sweets and Nankeen Association, Amit Kumar, managing director and CEO Pratap Snacks Limited, Harish Ramnani of Karachi Bakery, Hyderabad, Radhe Mohan Agarwal from Bikaner, Manohar Agarwal proprietor of Haldiram Delhi, and Shivtaran Agarwal proprietor of Bikajee bakery.

From the city, proprietor of Madhuram Sweets Shyam Sharma, proprietor of Gangour Sweets Sundra Dakhlia were present among others. Virendra Jain said the demand for Indian sweets and snacks has increased in countries like UK, Europe, America, Saudi Arabia in addition to India.

Due to packaging, the sweets and namkeen industry of the country has grown to Rs 1 lakh core. The growth rate of the industry is 20 percent. As far as Indore is concerned, there are 1000 factories making sweets and namkeen. In the city, the business has gone up to Rs 5,000 crore with growth rate of 18 percent.

Federation director Firoz S Naqvi said food industries are currently struggling with the challenge of closure of plastic packing units. “Namkeen cannot be kept in paper packing for a long time. In such a situation, the government needs to reconsider its decision of banning plastics packing,” he said.