|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Govt launches major skill-training push to bridge talent gap in food processing sector
|
|
Saturday, 06 December, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Our Bureau, New Delhi
|
In a fresh boost to India’s food-processing industry, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has announced a consolidated effort to bridge the widening skills gap in the sector through structured training and capacity building. The strategy, implemented under the Food Industry Capacity and Skill Initiative (FICSI), seeks to equip workers, entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises with relevant expertise spanning traditional food processing to cutting-edge technologies.
Under FICSI, more than 60 job-roles have been approved by National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), following industry-designed qualification packs. These roles cover newer areas such as plant-based proteins, fortified foods, and compliance with food-safety norms mandated by regulatory authorities. The qualification standards are reviewed and updated every 36 months to match evolving industry requirements.
In addition to vocational roles, the government is leveraging the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), to deliver short-term capacity-building trainings conducted by State and UT governments. Since 2020–21, over 1.09 lakh beneficiaries have undergone training under this scheme.
Further support is being provided through two national-level institutions National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), with campuses at Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) and Kundli (Haryana). Together, these institutes have trained over 33,255 and 1,516 individuals respectively, between 2018–19 and 2024–25, via short-term courses, entrepreneurship programmes and skill-development initiatives.
So far, FICSI and related efforts have certified and trained more than 2.72 lakh candidates in food-processing roles — a significant boost for industry workforce credentials. Notably, about 2.60 lakh of them benefited through the government’s flagship skill scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
These measures in tandem with support under other central-sector and state-level schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and relevant Production-Linked Incentive programmes — aim to steer India’s food-processing sector towards global competitiveness. With emphasis on modern technologies, safety standards, entrepreneurship and cold-chain infrastructure, the push is expected to deepen value-addition, generate jobs, boost rural enterprise, and give a fillip to the sector’s growth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|