On November 10, 2025, two major announcements out of New Delhi signaled a significant shift in India’s approach to both its agri-food sector and the sprawling world of online commerce. The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I), backed by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and co-hosted by ICAR–NRCG, revealed plans for Nourish India 2025, a summit designed to propel innovation, food safety, and value addition within India’s agri-food ecosystem. Meanwhile, the government proposed sweeping new rules for online marketplaces, requiring platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, FirstCry, Meesho, and Nykaa to clearly display a searchable and sortable ‘Country of Origin’ filter for all packaged goods, aiming to promote transparency and bolster domestic manufacturing.
These parallel initiatives underscore the government’s commitment to its Viksit Bharat vision—a roadmap for a developed, self-reliant India—by fostering both technological advancement in agriculture and fairer, more transparent digital marketplaces.
Nourish India 2025, set for November 20 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, will convene policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers from across the country. The summit, as reported by Global Agriculture, is aligned with the Viksit Bharat vision and intends to advance discussions on food safety best practices, safe agri-inputs, export opportunities in tea, horticulture, spices, and processed foods, as well as enabling finance and trade policies. The event promises a roster of distinguished speakers, including Ravneet Singh Bittu, Minister of State, MoFPI; Dr. Prem Garg, National President, Indian Rice Exporters Federation & Chairman, Lal Mahal Group; Mr. Jayanta Chakraborty, Mentor of the Agri-Horti-Food Processing–Rural Development Committee at BCC&I; Dr. Alka Rao, Advisor at FSSAI; and Dr. Giridhar Parvatham, Director of CSIR – Central Food Technological Research Institute.
“The summit aims to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to advance innovation, food safety, and value addition across India’s agri-food ecosystem, aligned with the Viksit Bharat vision,” organizers stated, emphasizing the event’s role as a catalyst for addressing both longstanding and emerging challenges in the sector.
Concurrently, the government’s proposed e-commerce regulations—part of the Draft Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) (Second) Amendment Rules, 2025—mark a new chapter in consumer empowerment and digital accountability. According to a statement from the Union consumer affairs ministry, the draft rules would require every e-commerce entity offering imported products to provide a filter that allows consumers to search and sort listings based on the country of origin. This measure is intended to make shopping “more transparent” and significantly reduce the time consumers spend seeking product details online.
The push comes at a time when India is doubling down on its ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) and ‘Vocal for Local’ initiatives, which aim to foster domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports. The ministry explained, “By helping consumers easily locate ‘Made in India’ goods, the filter will create a level playing field for domestic producers and enhance fair competition with imported items.”
The proposal, which is open for public consultation until November 22, 2025, also arrives amid heightened global trade tensions and recent tariff hikes by the US on Indian exports. The government has been steadily tightening oversight of e-commerce operations, targeting fair trade practices, misleading advertisements, and product traceability. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, already require disclosure of key details such as manufacturer name, quantity, and maximum retail price (MRP). The new amendment would add another layer of transparency, bringing India in line with international best practices for consumer protection in digital trade.
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “This step will make e-commerce platforms more accountable and transparent in their dealings with Indian consumers.” The official added that the new provision will also help authorities monitor compliance more efficiently, enabling automatic verification of product data and reducing the need for manual checks across thousands of listings. “It will also discourage misleading or incomplete product disclosures that have been a chronic concern in online trade,” the official noted.
Vinod Kumar, president of the India SME Forum, praised the move, highlighting its potential to benefit domestic sellers who often lose visibility to imported products listed under ambiguous or incomplete descriptions. “For years, small Indian manufacturers have struggled to get fair online visibility. The introduction of a ‘Country of Origin’ filter could help buyers consciously support Indian brands. It will also compel platforms to be more transparent about imported goods, many of which are often sold without clear labelling,” Kumar said, according to Mint. He further emphasized, “When consumers know where a product is made, they tend to trust it more. This initiative will promote informed buying and help local businesses gain consumer confidence.”
The proposed rules are not just about consumer empowerment—they are also about strengthening the backbone of India’s manufacturing sector. By making it easier for buyers to identify and choose Indian-made products, the government hopes to give small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a competitive edge. The amendment is expected to “create a level playing field for domestic producers and enhance fair competition with imported items,” according to the ministry’s statement.
Retailers and e-commerce giants, for their part, have yet to publicly respond. Queries sent to Amazon, Flipkart, FirstCry, Nykaa, and Meesho remained unanswered at press time. The silence from these industry leaders leaves open questions about how the new requirements will be implemented and what challenges they might pose for platforms already managing vast and complex product catalogs.
Meanwhile, the government is also considering reforms to the maximum retail price (MRP) system. As reported by Mint earlier this year, the department of consumer affairs is exploring whether guidelines should be established to link MRP to the cost of making and marketing items, including essential commodities and daily-use consumer products. Currently, retail outlets can charge any amount up to the printed MRP, and manufacturers are not required to justify how the MRP is set. These potential changes are part of a broader effort to make pricing more transparent and consumer-friendly.
Taken together, these developments paint a picture of a government intent on modernizing both its agricultural and digital economies. Nourish India 2025 aims to foster dialogue and partnership among key stakeholders in the agri-food sector, while the proposed e-commerce rules seek to empower consumers and protect local businesses in the rapidly evolving online marketplace. Both initiatives reflect the broader policy thrust toward self-reliance, innovation, and global competitiveness.
As India prepares for the Nourish India summit and the public weighs in on the proposed e-commerce regulations, the coming weeks could prove pivotal for the country’s efforts to build a more transparent, innovative, and inclusive economic future. Whether these measures will deliver on their ambitious promises remains to be seen, but for now, the drive toward a Viksit Bharat is unmistakably gathering pace.
