The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) has been a major institutional support in the strategic effort by India to mainstream millets. The Centre is shifting to incorporate millet-based innovations in the global food value chain as the country aims to scale both high-tech and grassroots capacity.
Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, recently pointed out that the recipes of millet that are created using a local Indian technology are already being offered by major international food chains, such as McDonald’s. This achievement highlights the business potential and international success of the traditional Indian nutri-cereals with the support of advanced processing methods.
Critical component and expansion
The program’s focus on the inaugural national centre of excellence of Millets in CFTRI. This plant is a major center of transformation of the old crops into mass market products. When Dr. Singh visited the institute, he noted that the innovations that have come out of this Centre are no longer limited to laboratories but have actually penetrated into international markets.
The Centre is currently introducing an extensive system of residential training to supplement these technological achievements. This growth is aimed at making the expertise of the institute available to the entire country so that the fruits of millet innovation can be made available in all parts of the country.
An important aspect of this growth is the construction of a new residential college at campus M.G. Halli. This facility is expected to be operational in a year. It will allow participants in the entire country of India to pursue long-term training programs, especially when they may otherwise not manage the expense of accommodations privately.
Sustainable innovation and technical skills
The startups and small businesses are the target of the training programs developed in CFTRI to empower them with expert assistance and the availability of modern technology. The idea is to enhance primary and secondary processing methods, including dehusking, polishing, and milling, as well as to consider value-addition, i.e., flaking, baking, and extrusion.
The Centre will be able to catalyze a millet revolution by uniting researchers, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs to enhance the income of rural farmers. The institute offers affordable and commercially viable technologies to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and in many cases. It works directly with the entrepreneurs to assist them in setting up and running their own food processing facilities.
The Centre is also considering other traditional food products in addition to millets in order to replicate this success. It is already being planned to make sustainable food recipes with the help of “Kalari,” a well-known traditional cheese product of Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. This is indicative of a larger plan of scientific intervention to maintain food heritage and develop the economy.
CFTRI provides end-to-end services, including product optimization and shelf-life testing, packaging, and regulatory compliance, through its incubation centers. These initiatives ensure that the local grains and local delicacies are converted to modern and marketable products that are safe and of a global standard.
Conclusion
The growth of the CFTRI Millets Centre is a critical move towards making India a global destination for healthy and sustainable grains. The institute is filling the gap between scientific innovation and rural entrepreneurship by integrating high-end research with high-quality, residential skill development.
Residential training is important to ensure that the knowledge within the Centre of Excellence is available to all at the grassroots level, such as the farmers and the small-scale processors. These technologies are not only increasing the food security of the nation but also providing sustainable livelihoods to millions of stakeholders along the agricultural value chain as they continue to infiltrate local markets and global food chains.
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