India, Dec. 3 -- As the Indian food and nutrition sector enters a defining year, one thing is clear - the rules of growth are changing. Clean labels, traceability, stronger regulation, purposeful nutrition, export competitiveness and data-driven factories are quickly becoming non-negotiables. Innovation is shifting from complexity to credibility, from additives to soil health, from pilot digitisation to enterprise-wide transformation.So what will truly shape 2026 for food and beverage in India? Let's see what the leaders across sectors are saying - from spices, dairy, automation and tea to functional foods, nutrition and agri-exports.

Spices

Ramkumar Menon, Chairman, World Spice Organisation

"The next 18-24 months will be a defining ph...