GUWAHATI, SEPTEMBER 4 (MExN): The Industries and Commerce Department, in collaboration with the Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (NIDC), under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) initiative, successfully organized a three-day Technology Clinic on food processing titled “Tech Driven Transformation in Food Processing” from September 2 to 4 at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management – Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) Liaison Office, Guwahati.
The programme brought together 30 entrepreneurs from across Nagaland, combining technical sessions with hands-on demonstrations to enhance entrepreneurial capabilities in the food processing sector.
Dr Goutam Das, Assistant Professor at NIFTEM-T LO, Guwahati, conducted the first session, providing an orientation on the current food processing landscape in India and the Northeast. He highlighted opportunities for value addition in high-value GI crops, underutilized fruits such as wood apple, star fruit, star gooseberry, and products derived from cassava, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and cereal-based bakery items.
Subsequent sessions (Clinics 2–6), led by Simanta Neog and Udipta Hazarika, covered pickle and tomato sauce/ketchup processing; vegetable dehydration and candy preserves; lemon products and chips including lemon squash, paste, pickles, plantain and potato chips; spice dehydration and chilli processing; and spice-based pastes and chutneys such as chilli pickle and ginger-garlic paste.
Participants received practical exposure to food-grade equipment including electrical tray driers, steam-jacketed kettles, ball mills, vacuum sealers, fruit pulpers, and fibre extractors. The training also included guidance on preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to support future entrepreneurial ventures.
The programme concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, reinforcing the commitment to fostering innovation, value addition, and inclusive growth within the MSME ecosystem of the Northeast region.
RAMP, a World Bank-supported scheme of the Government of India, aims to improve access to markets, credit, and capacity building for MSMEs. In Nagaland, where MSMEs are gradually modernizing, access to advanced machinery and technology is considered vital for competitiveness. The Technology Clinics under RAMP bring together leading experts to equip entrepreneurs with practical skills and technical knowledge required for enterprise upgradation.
The initiative also supports post-COVID-19 recovery, enabling MSMEs in Nagaland to adopt emerging technologies and modernize their businesses to remain competitive in an evolving economic landscape.
