NIFTEM expands national partnerships to boost food processing innovation and cold chain capacity

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 11, 2025

India’s efforts to bolster the food processing ecosystem gained strong momentum as the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) at Kundli, Haryana, and Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, announced a series of academic and research collaborations aimed at strengthening capacity-building and innovation in the sector. The autonomous institutions under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries have partnered with leading educational and research bodies across the country, including several prominent institutions in Karnataka.

NIFTEM-Thanjavur has formalised Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga, and CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, along with other universities in Karnataka. As part of its skill development initiatives, the institute has also conducted short-term courses on Cold Chain Management to address the growing need for specialised training in the post-harvest and logistics segments.

The Ministry highlighted that key component schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), including the Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC) and the Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition scheme, continue to operate on a demand-driven model. Proposals are invited periodically from across India, including from Bengaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts, to support the establishment of integrated cold chain and agro-processing projects. These interventions are designed to create essential infrastructure for reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing shelf life, generating rural employment, and improving farmer incomes.

Preference under the APC scheme is extended to proposals located in agri-horti clusters identified by bodies such as the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), and APEDA, ensuring strategic alignment with national horticulture and export priorities.

A third-party impact evaluation commissioned by the Ministry has validated the effectiveness of both the Cold Chain and APC schemes, recommending their continuation to bridge the significant infrastructure gap in the post-harvest value chain. These schemes remain open to all eligible entities, including individual farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

To date, one project sanctioned in the Bengaluru region has already delivered tangible benefits, supporting nearly 600 farmers through enhanced processing and cold chain access.

The information was shared by Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, underscoring the government’s continued focus on strengthening India’s food processing capabilities and improving value realisation for farmers across the country.