India emerges as alternative market for ASEAN food exporters

At the Indusfood expo in Greater Noida, Filipino exporter Dry Tech Manufacturing displayed dried moringa, lemongrass, taro leaves and the coconut‑milk stew laing under its Sheentaro brand. Vice‑president Corinne Anne Cordero said India’s population, larger than China’s, includes hundreds of millions of vegetarians, making it an attractive market for plant‑based and ready‑to‑cook products. The company had previously presented the same products at the China‑ASEAN Expo in Nanning, where the response was strong enough to prompt a push into India. Southeast Asian nations are increasingly viewing India as a viable alternative to China and the United States for food trade, as well as for arms and technology partnerships, amid the broader strategic competition between the two powers.