|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coffee Board to set up AICs to spur innovation in product development
|
|
Saturday, 06 October, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
|
Coffee Board is now working to set up Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) to spur innovation in research and product development, among others.
The move follows the Union government’s effort to set up the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog to create incubation facilities across India. It will provide access to sectorial experts to mentor start-ups, access to seed capital, training and other relevant components.
AIM is supporting the establishment of Atal Incubation Centers (AICs). Coffee Board will have the AIC-CCRI Foundation for Entrepreneurship Development on a 10,000-sq ft area equipped with product development laboratories, meeting rooms, an auditorium and advanced information technology (IT) infrastructure. “Pre-incubation and accelerator services for coffee and agri-based start-ups will be provided,” said R Ramanan, mission director, AIM.
“The AIC-CCRI Foundation for Entrepreneurship Development would result in the establishment of at least 150 innovative scalable businesses in the coffee and agribusiness sector during the next five years. This would contribute to growth in domestic demand for coffee and the overall development of the sector,” said Srivatsa Krishna, secretary and chief executive officer, Coffee Board.
“In order to provide access to qualified manpower, Coffee Board is also organising a slew of training programmes. Its Kaapi Shastra, a proprietary training has been designed considering the specific needs of information and skills of coffee roasters, hotel/restaurant/cafeteria personnel, institutional caterers and entrepreneurs who are interested in coffee retailing. There is always an overwhelming response to the programme all over India and the number of entries is increasing day by day,” he added.
Another is the five-day training on barista skills, driven by the need of mushrooming coffee chains in the country. Barista has emerged as a viable career option, and the profession has also acquired glamour over the last few years,” Krishna said.
Yet another is a three-day Short Term Executive Programme (STEP) in traditional and non-traditional coffee growing areas across India under the Domestic Promotion Scheme.
Coffee Board, which introduced the post-graduate diploma in coffee quality management in 2001, helps students acquire scientific knowledge at every stage of cultivation, processing and cupping. The programme of three trimesters is held at different locations. In the first trimester, at Central Coffee Research Institute, Balehonnur, Chikmagalur, all aspects of cultivation and post-harvest processing are covered. The remaining two trimesters are at the Coffee Quality Division, Coffee Board, Bengaluru, with a project on coffee-related topics,” he said.
To recognise and felicitate valuable contribution made by every person in the value chain including consumers, Coffee Board organised a Coffee Par Soch: Prashnottari: The Coffee Quiz on the occasion of fourth International Coffee Day recently. Its objective was to help consumers to appreciate the relentless efforts by every individual in this farm to cup journey of coffee.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|