This year, the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) released a landmark report titled ‘Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024’, addressing India's pressing nutrition challenges while providing recommendations to help mitigate them and emphasising the crucial need for a balanced and diverse diet. These guidelines come at a critical juncture marked by significant progress in government efforts to combat malnutrition, alongside the rapid expansion of the FMCG sector and the growing variety of food products available to consumers.

Recognising the importance of these guidelines in shaping India's food and nutrition landscape, Primus Partners, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW) and our regional partner, PGIMER Chandigarh, organised a panel discussion. This session brought together leading experts to delve into the implications of the guidelines and strategies for their effective implementation and dissemination.

The workshop featured participation from dignitaries and experts across diverse fields, including nutrition, community medicine, health, cardiology, and dietetics. Prominent speakers included Mrs Anuradha Chagti, Secretary, WCD, Chandigarh; Dr Dheeraj Shah, Director, NIHFW; Dr Hemalatha; Dr Subbarao; Dr Vivek Lal; Dr Shankar Prinja; Dr Raj Bhandari; and Dr Umesh Kapil, among others.

The discussion focused on the evolving dietary landscape in northern India, pressing dietary issues, and the strategic measures undertaken by stakeholders to ensure the guidelines' successful implementation and wide dissemination.