‘Indian meals processing equipment makers want extra subsidies’ – Director, NIFTEM-Okay

The Nationwide Institute of Meals Expertise, Entrepreneurship and Administration (NIFTEM) in Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana, underneath the Ministry of Meals Processing Trade, is an apex institute which is contributing to the quickly rising meals processing sector within the nation not solely via the skilled manpower, but additionally finishing up numerous analysis and improvement actions. businessline caught up with Harinder Singh Oberoi, Director, NIFTEM-Okay, to know extra concerning the developments within the meals processing sector, prospects and challenges. Excerpts from the interview:

• Additionally learn:Kerala showcases its potential in food-tech sector at Gulfood 2024 in Dubai

It’s a very vibrant sector, which has created employment alternatives within the current previous and for those who take a look at the way in which this sector is rising, I feel there’s a phenomenal alternative for development for the younger start-ups, entrepreneurs to leap into this sector and make a quick buck. By round 2030, India would be the fifth largest shopper of the processed meals merchandise. For the time being, our consumption of processed meals merchandise is low, however is anticipated to boost fairly quick. Additionally, for those who take a look at the worth of this business it might be $543 billion by 2025. There may be an upsurge and the CAGR development is 14.6 per cent.

The chilly chain infrastructure that’s required is just not satisfactory and the is provide chain is essentially fragmented. Along with that, we don’t have the suitable processing number of fruit and veggies for getting the required processed merchandise. For instance, Heinz — the most important tomato processor on the planet — has 57 processable tomato varieties. In India we don’t have even single number of tomato that has comparable type of traits. As we make lot of merchandise from the tomato base, the price and power spent on making these merchandise is far larger in comparison with tomatoes that are grown in China or California. Comparable is the case with citrus.

Main problem is we don’t have indigenous equipment. A lot of the equipment that now we have within the nation for processing of fruits or greens, dairy or meat and even the Able to Eat, Rtc snacks is essentially imported. In order that additionally raises the price of funding as a result of any start-up or MSME trying to spend money on growing a brand new product phase or market, finds it little tough due to the import duties and there’s no service again up for such equipment. The necessity of the hour is to have extra subsidies for the Indian producers of meals processing equipment. Additionally, there’s a must exhort them to make equipment in India that’s fairly comparable or near what we see within the equipment manufactured in Denmark, Netherlands or Germany.

The bigger constraints are the dearth of major and secondary processing facility within the rural areas corresponding to cleansing, grading, packing and pulping on the farm stage. Having such facility will assist the tertiary processors or finish product producers.

Applied sciences. We have to have new applied sciences in place. Now the Indian shopper is getting inclined to consuming processed merchandise not like prior to now the place the consumption of processed merchandise was very much less. You see many variants of processed meals coming into the markets. The novel meals merchandise is the place the business ought to give attention to. Such merchandise must be tremendous merchandise or tremendous meals, that are low in fats, low in sugar, excessive in fibre and excessive in protein. Millets is one. Millets or millet-based merchandise is an excellent possibility. A mix of millets with sure leafy greens and a few fruit amalgamations will give a whole eating regimen. Many a instances, as a analysis organisation we’re in a position to develop meals with balanced proportion of vitamins in them. However relating to shelf life and palatability we lose on these counts. Such merchandise must be developed with out compromising on shelf life and texture, fibre and style. Second side is nutraceuticals might be an enormous recreation changer. The addition of botanical extracts or nutraceutical compounds into meals merchandise will add worth to it. Third space is wise proteins. Proteins from plant sources is one thing which goes to seize the market in an enormous approach.

There may be lot of R&D occurring throughout institutes and the business. Collaboration between the business and academia could make a huge impact on the brand new product improvement and scale back the prices. There are lot of segments corresponding to millets, dehydrated fruit and veggies, probiotics and utilisation of residues corresponding to oil muffins or tomatoes, the place lot of product innovation is going down. With the meals processing sector set to develop at 14.6 per cent CAGR, institutes like NIFTEM, Kundli, the place college students should not solely skilled in primary and meals sciences, but additionally in administration, are doing their bit to the development of the sector. Most of the college students have turned entrepreneurs and launched their very own start-ups.

The enterprise capitalists curiosity is sort of phenomenal. Now we have bought funding from HDFC Financial institution to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship in meals processing and allied sectors. Now we have opened up our services to entrepreneurs and start-ups. NIFTEM, together with enterprise capitalists and meals processing corporations, will hand maintain the start-ups and entrepreneurs. If there are some 20 start-ups being incubated at NIFTEM Kundli as we speak, you might even see that determine reaching 2,000 within the subsequent couple of years.

The Authorities is doing its bit via totally different schemes. Subsidy for the indigenous manufacturing of meals processing equipment will assist the sector. Additionally there’s a want for the analysis and improvement of merchandise with low sugar, salt and fats content material and excessive protein and fibre which might make processed meals extra acceptable. Now we have opened up our doorways to the business – large and small to see that they get confidence in what we’re doing. There are corporations which have proven pursuits in growing new merchandise with us. The quantity of confidence that’s coming via the patron consciousness might be a game-changer.