India is emerging as a key global player in the food industry and students will benefit by utilising technologies such as robotics, digital food management, and Industry 4.0 to stay abreast of latest trends in the sector, Virendra Kumar Tewari, director, Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur, has said.
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Mr. Tewari was speaking at the second convocation ceremony of National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) on Friday. Seventy students got B. Tech degree, 27 M.Tech., and nine were awarded Ph. D., in Food Technology at the ceremony.
In his convocation address, Mr. Tewari said: “India’s food processing industry accounts for 32% of the country’s total food market and contributes around 14% of manufacturing GDP, 13% of local exports, and 6% of total industrial investments.” Mastering new technologies would help graduates to excel in the field, he said.
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Hemant Malik, executive director, divisional chief executive of Foods Business, ITC, said one of the key challenges that needed immediate solution was climate change-induced impact on food security. Technologies to reduce salt, sugar, and fat content and foods that could be used to boost nutritional and gut health would be important growth areas in future, he said.
In his speech, NIFTEM-T director V. Palanimuthu said the institute had developed 20 novel technologies in processing, product development, packaging, and storage this year. He added that an institute fellowship of up to ₹31,000 a month would be offered to all enrolling postgraduate meritorious students during their study period.
R.S. Sodhi, chairperson of the governing board of NIFTEM-T, spoke.