Organizing the National Street Food Festival is a major component of the street food advocacy campaign undertaken by NASVI. It is not just about food, but also about the livelihood of street vendors. Street food vendors from different regions and places assemble with their signature dishes and interact with thousands of people. It is different from the other food festivals as while they bring high-end restaurant chains, NASVI brings authenticity to street food through practicing street food vendors themselves. NASVI has successfully organized 12 National Street Food Festivals, Bharat Parva, participated in the International Street Food Festival, State Street Food Festival, Paryatan Parv, and Samridhi Mela.

NASVI’s motto is to push practicing street food vendors

Giving Street food vendors exposure

Street food vendors, especially those in small towns lack exposure, people are not aware of what ability they hold and what their skills are. Even though they hold the originality of their native cuisines, they are underrepresented in melas and festivals happening in the country. NASVI takes care to give newer street food vendors, every year, from even the marginalized regions like North East a chance to participate and represent their skills there. This ensures that those who have not had the exposure take part in the festival and utilize the opportunity.

Promoting the livelihood of street food vendors, making them entrepreneurs

NASVI, through its initiatives like Safe Food training and its previous Street Food Festivals, has emphasized and brought into practice the need for hygienic food preparation and serving. NASVI has a list of vendors who have benefitted from participation in the fest, who went back home to become so popular that their income went up by 500%. It exposes the food vendors to first-hand entrepreneurship experience and they give importance to hygiene and food safety, adding to the qualities of an entrepreneur.

Breaking the stigma that street food vendors are unhygienic

People are often left with the misconception that street food vendors are unhygienic and, hence should not be visited. NASVI breaks this stigma by portraying street food vendors from even the smallest corner of the country in their entrepreneurial spirit, handling and serving food most hygienically while also not losing out on the authenticity of the food. This may be the most striking effect on customers as they start appreciating street food vendors are champions of hygiene practices.

Adding healthier versions in contrast to the popular belief

Contrary to popular belief that street food vendors use tonnes of butter and unhealthy and reused oil in the food preparation, the National Street Food Festival shows the healthier side of street food. Through steamed dishes, millet-based cuisines, street food vendors learn to make “healthy” food and serve these back home too.

Entrepreneurship skills having a lasting effect on the participant vendors

The street food vendors who participate in the festival do not leave what they have learnt in the event once it’s over. They adapt to the entrepreneurship skills developed, in terms of serving the food hygienically and aesthetically, courtesy to customers, etc. quickly. The vendors make sure that they utilize these skills at their stalls back home. They do not stop using the hygiene kits they had been given, and even develop the habit of equipping their stalls with hygiene measures at all times.

Promoting Street food vendors as pioneers of culture

At the National Street Food Festival, tens of thousands of visitors will get a chance to appreciate the skills of street food vendors and the legacy of authentic street food culture they carry. Until and unless people eat Vada Pav from a Marathi street vendor, or Chettinad Masala Dosa from a Tamil street vendor, people are deprived of authenticity. The National Street Food Festival makes sure that authenticity is served at the festival through practicing street food vendors such that the visitors can get all of India’s rich gastronomy at one place.

The lasting impression of NASVI’s National Street Food Festival

Formulation of Street Vendors Act 2014

NASVI has been the major force behind the Street Vendors Act 2014. A major reason behind it is the National Street Food Festival itself. The festival showed how street food vendors are in need of a law that will protect their livelihood and aid in income enhancement.

More stakeholder participation

NASVI has made several stakeholders participate in the festival, it has brought Ministries, policymakers Civil Society Organizations, and corporates into participating in it. Even Municipal Corporations in several cities started to replicate the festival. Similarly, the Ministry of Tourism started the Bharat Parv in 2015 which made street food vendors the participants. The initial few editions were exclusively organized with NASVI, later on, other stakeholders like IHMs also started participating. This created a pool of active participation for the benefit of street vendors.

FSSAI starting the Eat Right Mela

The FSSAI, after witnessing the impact of hygiene training and food safety on street food vendors, embarked upon the Eat Right Melas focusing on street food vendors. It has also led to collaborating with National Street Food Festivals in many editions.

Street food hubs being functional

Yet another impact of the National Street Food Festival employing the maximum food safety and hygiene practices was that Street Food Hubs started being organized in many cities. They are replicated in these hubs which promote street food vendors.