Poultry India signals India’s expanding role in the global poultry market

26 February 2026

6 minute read

By: Sarah Mikesell

Asia

When the 17th edition of Poultry India wrapped up at the end of November, organizers walked away with a clear message: India’s poultry sector is not only growing –  it is confident in its ability to innovate, educate and compete on a global stage.

For Mr. Uday Singh Bayas, president of the India Poultry Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and organizer of Poultry India, the scale of this year’s exhibition reflected both industry momentum and years of deliberate investment back into the sector.

“We have just concluded the 17th edition of Poultry India,” Bayas said. “We had almost 510 exhibitors this year with a remarkable visitor strength of more than 50,000 people visiting from all over the world.”

Bayas described the event as more than a commercial exhibition. Poultry India, operated under a non-profit model through IPEMA, is designed to channel proceeds back into farmer education, technical outreach and industry development across India.

“The service what we make every year of this exhibition is again given back to the poultry industry,” he said. “Our Knowledge Day covers important education topics like emerging diseases and prevention strategies, future-ready feed planning, manure and sustainability frameworks, rural market potential and poultry career evolution for future talent, but that’s just on aspect of our reinvestment.”

Reinvesting in farmers, veterinarians and education

That reinvestment, Bayas explained, takes place throughout the year and across the country, not only during the annual exhibition.

“The way we give back is by organizing technical seminars all over India,” he said. “We go to each and every state of the country, and we organize a seminar with the best industry stakeholders.”

Those seminars are tailored to regional needs, whether the issue is disease pressure, heat stress or other local challenges.

“We talk to the industry stakeholders to confirm what is the problem in the state at that particular juncture,” Bayas said. “Then we conduct seminars accordingly, and we enlighten the farmer by bringing in academia, veterinarians and stakeholders to talk on these subjects.”

Bayas emphasized that connecting directly with farmers on the ground is a defining feature of Poultry India’s approach.

Beyond farmers, Poultry India has also placed increasing emphasis on engaging veterinarians and students at a time when the global poultry industry faces a shortage of trained professionals.

“The major problem today all over the world is that we are not having veterinarians coming into the industry,” Bayas said. “This is not only a problem in India – it's a global problem today.”

To address this, Poultry India works closely with agricultural universities, research institutions and veterinary students.

“We make sure that we call them, we have face time, we talk to them and we show the industry where it is going,” Bayas said. “Because this is a future issue that we have to get into, understand and address.”

He also pointed to initiatives such as a recent vice-chancellor meeting that brought academic leaders together to discuss how veterinary education can better balance theory and practical skills.

Aligning with a national vision for growth

This year’s exhibition themes were closely aligned with India’s broader development goals, Bayas noted, particularly the government’s long-term vision for economic growth, sustainability and inclusion.

“With due respect to our Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi Ching and his vision of Viksit Bharat, it’s Progressive India and a vision of 2047,” Bayas said.

That vision emphasizes the role of democracy, women, youth and farming communities in national development. All are groups Poultry India actively seeks to engage.

“With the Prime Minister’s vision, at Poultry India, we have secured the same strategy, and we are moving in the same direction with progress in every area,” he said. “This is how we improve our economy and can be more sustainable in facing our competition which is coming globally. 

He noted that India’s economic challenges including tariffs still exist, but if India can produce more of its own food, it puts them in a much better situation. Bayas said poultry meat and egg’s roles in food security and economic development make the sector central to that vision.

“India is the second largest producer of eggs today and the fourth largest producer of chicken,” he said. “So, just imagine the kind of growth India is taking on these lines.”

Feed, disease and policy pressures remain front and center

Despite strong growth, Bayas acknowledged that the industry continues to face structural challenges, particularly around feed availability and cost.

“The challenges today are mostly with maize/corn today,” he said, pointing to competition between poultry feed use and ethanol production.

Bayas said industry leaders are actively engaging with policymakers on solutions that could improve availability and affordability.

“We are requesting the Government of India to open up access to genetically modified (GM) corn, so the production criteria of corn/maize can be increased,” he said, noting the price disparity between domestic production and imports.

Disease pressure was another major concern echoed across the exhibition floor.

“Emerging diseases are not just a short-term problem,” Bayas said. “It's becoming a yearly problem with no seasonal breaks. It’s just a continuous process of disease challenges.”

As a result, biosecurity, surveillance and smart disease monitoring featured prominently in this year’s discussions and technology showcases. Environmental compliance is also gaining importance as poultry production expands.

“Lot of environmental issues are coming up, and people who are just starting in poultry farm are having to consider things like water pollution, air pollution and other related issues,” Bayas said.

Poultry India provides a forum where feed industry leaders, farmer associations and technology providers can address these challenges together.

“We are here to discuss the 360° view where technology can be improved,” he said.

Technology adoption accelerates

Innovation remained a defining feature of the 2025 exhibition, with Bayas highlighting the rapid adoption of digital tools and artificial intelligence.

“Artificial intelligence has now taken over the industry,” he said. “We have a lot of companies who work on those lines, promoting their artificial intelligence in every tech.”

From disease detection to equipment monitoring, Bayas said technology is becoming essential to improving productivity at all scales of production.

“Monitoring has become a very important subject,” he said. “The best productivity, if it can be attained, is by having the best technology available in the country or the world.”

One of Poultry India’s strengths, he added, is making those technologies accessible.

“Whether it is a big farm or a small farm, it doesn't matter,” Bayas said. “Because the technology brought by the exhibitors is very friendly to any size operation.”

A global platform with regional roots

International participation continued to expand at Poultry India, reinforcing India’s growing role in the global poultry landscape.

“The poultry sector in India is growing at 6% to 8%,” Bayas said. “And this is a very conservative growth rate.”

He described the exhibition as a convergence point for producers, scientists, veterinarians and policymakers from around the world.

“We had the president of IPPE (US-based International Poultry and Processing Expo) attend this year and other very prominent people from the world over,” Bayas said.

Delegations from Africa, South Asia and beyond attended to learn from India’s production systems and cost structures.

“They find India to be a leading producer of chicken,” Bayas said. “They see that this kind of costing which we are doing is basically using the best methods in the industry.”

For Bayas, staying current with technology is non-negotiable in today’s competitive environment.

“You cannot run with a 2G phone and get productivity in your farm,” he said. “Technology has to be adopted on a yearly basis.”

Looking ahead to the 18th edition of Poultry India

As planning begins for the next Poultry India, Bayas said the focus remains firmly on knowledge transfer, sustainability and farmer empowerment.

“Growth is only possible when you adapt technology, when you are on par and on the same page with what is happening in the world,” he said.

For farmers, that means understanding not just equipment, but biosecurity, sustainability and regulatory expectations.

“We have to make biosecurity a compulsory format on the farm, grow our farms and give the best product to the consumer,” Bayas said.

Bayas described Poultry India as a community rather than a conventional trade show.

“Attendees don't find this as a poultry show,” he said. “They find this as a festival.”

That sense of ownership, he believes, is what keeps farmers returning year after year – and what positions Poultry India as a cornerstone of India’s poultry sector.

“That’s why our farmers, our production and our quality is sustainable,” Bayas said. “And we are moving in the direction for an even better 18th edition of Poultry India.”