New Delhi, July 29 - A delegation from the Polish food processing industry is likely to visit India to explore investment opportunities in this country and especially in Bihar, according to a senior official of the embassy of Poland.

Participating in the International Summit on Food Processing and Agribusiness here Wednesday, Polish embassy official M.M. Gogia, speaking on behalf of Dariusz Karwowoski, commercial counsellor, embassy of Poland, said: 'We are trying to arrange a visit to India by a delegation of entrepreneurs from Poland's food processing industry to explore investment opportunities here.'

Gogia was responding to an invitation by Ashok Kumar Sinha, principal secretary (industry) in the Bihar government for Polish investments in the state's food processing sector.

Earlier, Tuesday, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai, while inaugurating the summit, reminded investors that food processing was now a 'zero tax' sector and sought large investments across the entire farm to factory value chain.

'The food processing sector is now a tax-less sector as processing units enjoys income tax holiday for 10 years, there are no taxes on inputs such as raw materials and plant and machinery, and there are no taxes on finished products either,' Sahai said.

He also released a White Paper at the summit organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and industry lobby Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham).

Sahai said that during the debate on the union budget for 2009-10 in parliament Monday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had announced that the 10-year tax holiday had been extended to processing units for all perishables. Earlier this incentive was only for units processing fruits and vegetables.

The budget had also announced investment-linked incentives for cold chain and warehousing facilities, Sahai said.

He said he had also talked to Railway Minister Mamata Bannerjee and she had promised to provide railway land for setting up food processing units.