Industries and Commerce Department, Nagaland and Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation Ltd concluded a series of 10 Technology Clinics on food processing from October 13 to 18.
Guwahati, October 18 (MExN): The Industries and Commerce Department, Nagaland, in collaboration with the Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (NIDC), concluded a series of 10 Technology Clinics on food processing from October 13 to 18.
The clinics, held under the central government's World Bank-supported Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme, were organised at the Guwahati liaison office of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management – Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T).
Titled “Innovation in Food Processing,” the event saw participation from 60 entrepreneurs across Nagaland, according to a press release.
The programme offered a blend of technical sessions and hands-on demonstrations aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial capabilities in the food processing sector.
Dr Goutam Das, Assistant Professor at NIFTEM-T, conducted the first clinic, delivering an orientation on the current landscape of food processing in India and the Northeast. He highlighted opportunities for value addition in high-value GI crops, underutilised fruits, and products derived from cassava, bamboo shoot, mushroom, and cereals.
Subsequent sessions from Clinic 2 to 10 were led by Simanta Neog, Prostuti Chakravorty, and Udipta Hazarika. These clinics provided hands-on training in pickle making, vegetable dehydration, candy preserves, pasta and noodle preparation, ice-cream making, spice dehydration, chilli processing, and the production of spice-based pastes and chutneys.
Participants also gained practical experience with food-grade equipment, including Electrical Tray Driers, Steam Jacketed Kettles, Ball Mills, Vacuum Sealers, and industrial-grade refrigerators. The training included guidance on preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to support future ventures.
The programme concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, reinforcing the commitment to fostering innovation and inclusive growth within the MSME ecosystem in the Northeast.
The RAMP scheme is designed to improve market access, credit access, and capacity building for MSMEs. In Nagaland, where MSMEs are modernising, such initiatives are seen as vital for maintaining competitiveness, the release said.
