Topics discussed in the interview:

00:00 – 01:58 - Introduction about Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan

01:59 – 03:05 - About the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT)

03:06 – 03:31 - IIFPT’s role in the implementation of the PMFME Scheme

03:32 – 05:29 - Importance of the PMFME Scheme in the growth of the micro food processing sector

05:30 – 09:11 - Success stories from IIFPT’s Incubation Centre

09:12 – 10:39 - Branding and marketing support by virtual reality (VR) experience stores

10:40 – 14:15 - Millet based research and innovation at IIFPT

14:16 – 16:08 - India’s first indigenous 3D food printer developed at IIFPT and its applications

16:09 – 17:06 - Asia’s first artificial human digestive system developed at IIFPT and its applications

17:07 – 20:34 - Trends, gaps, challenges and future of the food processing industry

20:35 – 24:05 - Mistakes often made by aspiring entrepreneurs and the missing link

24:06 – 27:09 - The Millet industry and scope for aspiring entrepreneurs

27:10 – 29:03 - Millet and its evolution

29:04 – 33:03 - Benefits provided under the PMFME Scheme

33:04 – 34:39 - Concluding remarks by Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan

About The Guest

Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan is the Director of the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), Thanjavur since 2016 and is having more than two decades of experience in R&D and administration. His research endeavors are well documented in the form of 120 impact factor-publications with an average impact factor of 4.05, two International patents, and seven Indian patents. He is also the author of 6 books and 61 book chapters published by coveted publishers. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious 'ICAR - Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for Outstanding Research in Agricultural Sciences - 2019'. He was also awarded Tata Innovation Fellowship 2019-20 by DBT, Government of India. He is also the recipient of the prestigious NASI-Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Award 2018 and the All India Food Processors Association’s "Special Platinum Jubilee Award" for Development of Food Processing Technology & Innovation 2018. Dr. Anandharamakrishnan is the elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (FNASc), Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), Fellow of Royal Society of Biology (FRSB). He was also awarded the National Design Award 2019 for outstanding contribution by The Institution of Engineers, National Design and Research Forum.

About Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT)

The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) is a pioneer research and educational institution under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. The institute was founded by Dr. V. Subrahmanyan, an eminent scientist and founder Director, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore.

The institute was originally started as an R&D laboratory in 1967 to address the post-harvest losses in paddy crop, later upgraded as a national laboratory with the name Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) in 1972. Considering the vital importance of strengthening the R&D efforts in the post-harvest processing, preservation and value addition of raw agricultural produce, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) strengthened and upgraded the institute to Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) on 31 st March 2017.

Apart from its primary location at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, the institute has liaison offices at Guwahati (Assam) and Bathinda (Punjab). The institute is equipped with an in-house Food Processing Business Incubation Centre which offers hands-on- training on different food processing technologies, renting facilities and other supports throughout the year. The institute also houses NABL accredited and FSSAI referral testing laboratory. It also offers B.Tech., M.Tech. and Ph.D. programs in Food Process Engineering and M.Tech. programs in Food Science and Technology and Ph.D. in Biotechnology. For more information, kindly visit: http://www.iifpt.edu.in/index.php

Role of IIFPT in the PMFME Scheme

Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is designed to address the challenges faced by the micro enterprises and to tap the potential of groups and cooperatives in supporting the upgradation and formalization of food processing enterprises.

Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), Thanjavur, has been playing a pivotal role in capacity building & research at the national level for the implementation of the PMFME Scheme.

IIFPT provides technical support in terms of capacity building, setting up of cost norms and formulation of detailed project report for common incubation facility establishment. IIFPT provides technical support and training material for training of the PMFME Scheme beneficiaries through different level of training as Training of Master Trainers (ToMT), Training of Trainers (ToT) at District level and Training of Beneficiaries as well as coordinate with various National Level Technical Institutes for these trainings.

IIFPT is creating databases of training materials for One District One Product (ODOP) which includes demonstration of processing videos, packaging technologies, FSSAI guidelines, DPR, etc., which could be a common platform for the end user and beneficiaries of PMFME scheme.

For more information, kindly visit http://www.iifpt.edu.in/ab-pmfme.php

(Content Provided by Indian Institue of Food Processing Technology)