Hyderabad: The Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry(DICCI), Telangana Chapter in association with  Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) organised One full day Conference on Opportunities in Food Processing Industry for SC/ST Entrepreneurs here in the city at Hotel Park, Somajiguda ‪on Thursday

300 participants took part in the Conference. Experts from ICRISAT, MSME, NIN, IICT, CSIR-CFTRI, PJTSAU, CCMB, Senior Officials from Government of Telangana, TSDDCF, FSSAI, SIDBI, FIDD, NABARD spoke at the Conference on the subject.

Shri Benhur Mahesh Dutt Ekka, IAS, Secretary, Tribal Welfare Dept, Government of Telangana inaugurated the conference

Addressing the gathering immediately after inaugurating it, the top official of the Tribal Welfare Department said, 65% of Indian population has a mean age of 30 years whose food habits/likings are inclined towards processed food unlike the olden days.

In the post harvest season rupees 92,000 crores per annum is lost in India due to lack of proper food processing. This gap can be narrowed by initiating SC’s and ST’s into this industry, he added

Poor supply chain linkages and high wastage are a few challenges to deal with in this industry, Benhur Mahesh informed

Speaking further, the official observed that India lacks high standards in quality certification and food grading as existent in foreign countries. This gap has to be covered in order to build a robust food processing industry.

The current food consumption in India is valued at 370 billion USD and is expected to rise to 1 trillion USD by the year 2025, he stated.

Founder Chairman Padma Shri Milind Kamble informed that India is 6th largest food processing and grocery industry in the world. This sector in India experiences a business of 31 lakh crores as of now. But by the year 2020, the industry is expected to increase its business by 65 lakh crores.

Nearly 2 lakh people have been employed by food delivery companies like Swiggy, Zomato, Foodpanda and Uber Eats, states

This industry is called a sunshine industry as the demand for food is always increasing and hence this industry has no sunset.

Gamma irradiation like technology is an ambitious technological intervention which increases shelf life of perishable produce (vegetables) from 7 days shelf life to 60 days of shelf life.

DICCI is expected to venture with Ministry of Defense under their 9 PSU’s, Kamble added

DICCI National Working President Padma Shri Narra Ravi Kumar which organised the conference along with Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), Govt of India said there is no raw produce in this country which goes untouched by an SC/ST or Dalit but there is zero percent involvement of SC/ST or Dalit communities in value adding procedures like food processing and production.

Dalit’s are hard workers and we want to introduce them to process of value addition through food processing industry, he told the gathering in his welcome address.

25% of Indian population is composed of SC/ST. Hence this opportunity can ensure economical growth of this country, Ravi Kumar added.

The food processing industry has been slated for accelerated growth. It is projected to be a futuristic industry and it is anticipated that, over the years, it will emerge as a leading player in the global markets. As a result, the industry is seen to be witnessing feverish activity.

The size of the processed food market is estimated to be over Rs. 110 bn and is growing at 10 to 15% per annum. The Rs. 4000-bn food market in India has been growing at the rate of 6.5% a year. The Indian middle class spends an estimated around Rs. 700 bn annually on food and groceries alone. The ready-to-eat segment is growing faster as technology is improving and so is the lifestyle of the people.

India is the world’s second largest producer of food next to China, and has the potential of being the biggest with the food and agricultural sector.  The total food production in India is likely to double in the next ten years and there is an opportunity for large investments in food and food processing technologies, skills and equipment, especially in areas of Canning, Dairy and Food Processing, Packaging, Frozen Food/Refrigeration and Thermo – Processing

Food Processing and Agriculture Based Projects, Snack Food, Frozen Food, Agro Processing Technology, Processed Food, Instant Food, Food Industry, Food Preservation, Canned Food, Packed Food, Ready to Eat Food, Cereal Food, Pickle, Grain Milling, there are many opportunities for new entrepreneurs to plunge into food processing industry.

Success Stories of Vinoda Chandravath, Shaj Foods, Tarun Foods and Millet Bowl were discussed for the inspiration of the participants.

The conference provided a platform for awareness of opportunities in food processing industry, the various schemes of MoFPI to support the new/existing entrepreneurs, technology support in food processing industry, schemes of financial assistance, etc.

Founder Chairman Padma Shri Milind Kamble, DICCI National Working President Padma Shri Ravi Kumar Narra; South India President Mr. Raja Nayak, Telangana Chapter; K. Ravi Kumar DICCI Telangana Chapter Senior Vice President; National Head Tribal Vertical Mr. Suresh Naik, Senior officials of MoFPI and officials from Government of Telangana participated and enlighted participants about the opportunities available in Food Processing Industries.