Harsimrat Kaur Badal

MINISTER FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

TO DOUBLE FARMERS’ INCOMES by 2022, we need to get the food processing industry going.” With this in mind, Harsimrat Kaur Badal is devoting all her energies to the task. “Food parks reduce wastage

and ease inflation,” she says.

Overhauling the mega food park policy brought results. In 2014, just two of 42 allocated food parks, and 30 of the 100 cold chains were operational. Today, eight parks are open, four more await inauguration, and all 100 cold chains are in operation. India’s first National Food Grid Development Authority is in the works. Kaur’s biggest challenge and success, however, was getting the government to open FDI in multi-brand retail to sell food processed in India, even if it irked the RSS’s swadeshi ideologues.