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Tomar lays foundation for new infrastructure, opens food processing plants
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Wednesday, 21 October, 2020, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), Thanjavur is a national research and development, and educational institute under Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India. The institute undertakes research, offers academic programmes in food processing. The institute is equipped with hi-tech research facilities, business incubation centre and accredited food testing lab. IIFPT has forged strong links with industrial community in India and abroad.
IIFPT has generated number of inventions which were commercially explored by the stakeholders in food sector. The institute has recently procured 14.5 acre of land adjacent to its existing location for creation of infrastructure for expanding its research and academic activities. Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Panchayati Raj and Food Processing Industries, has laid the foundation stone for new infrastructure proposed to create in the newly procured land and inaugurated the student’s residential complex and pilot food processing plants established at the institute on video conferencing. Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Rameswar Teli and Secretary for Ministry of Food Processing Industries Pushpa Subrahmanyam and Minhaj Alam, joint secretary of MoFPI, were present at the inaugural.
The Director of IIFPT, Dr C Anandharamakrishnan, briefed the press that a student’s residential complex with state-of-the-art facilities for accommodating 200 students has been constructed at the institute premises. Pilot plants for food beverage processing and virgin coconut oil processing were established for capacity building of farmers, SHGs, FPOs and food industry stakeholders. As part of upgrading the amenities, the institute envisages creation of new research complex, guest house, staff quarters, boys hostel, auditorium and sports complex in the newly-procured land.
The Union Minister in his inaugural address mentioned that food processing has been identified as a priority sector for the Indian Government and as one of the focus sectors in the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiative.”Through 50 years of service to our nation, IIFPT has been functioning dynamic and focussed in promoting the food processing sector across the country. Today, marking the inaugural ceremony of expansion plan, I am pleased to say that the new state-of-the- art facilities for research and development, capacity building, consultancy and education will pave the way for the growth of farmers, entrepreneurs and students across the country.”
Tomar congratulated the institute for being ranked as the 74th among all engineering colleges in India in the NIRF rankings 2020 and appreciated the achievements on women empowerment and social responsibility, apart from being placed in the rank band 6 to 25 among all government and government-aided institutions in the country in the Atal Innovation rankings 2020.
Subrahmanyam in her address said that there is a need for interdisciplinary research fields, to develop end-to-end technology packages for the Indian food processing sector and development of technologies for indigenous Indian foods and in the design and fabrication of food processing and packaging machinery within the country. The institute will cater to these needs and the upcoming Centre for Excellence in Non-Thermal Food Processing of IIFPT will develop sustainable food processing and preservation solutions that have a huge market potential.
The Joint Secretary of MoFPI delivered vote of thanks. He acknowledged the ministers and secretary for joining the occasion and Director of IIFPT and team for the excellent efforts for the initiatives in creating new amenities.
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