NIFTEM - A Gateway to a Promising Career

National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) was conceptualized by Government of India on persistent demand of the food industry to have an apex body as a "One Stop Solution Provider" for the various problems of the sector. Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India has set up this institute with an initial investment of Rs. 500 crore (US $100 million). The institute is spread over an area of 100 acres. The institute intends to act as a centre of excellence and an apex world class centre of global standards in the area of food technology and management. It will cater to the needs of various stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, industries, exporters, policy makers, government and existing institutions. NIFTEM being an apex institution under Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) have developed strong linkages with industries.

World class education at NIFTEM

NIFTEM aims to become a world class education hub in Food Technology and Management. The salient features of NIFTEM are:

• State of art infrastructure put in place in consultation with eminent experts of the food sector, both from india and abroad.
• Fourteen world class state of the art teaching and research labs encompassing 7200m² of lab area. Further, there is separate provision for high tech research labs in future.
• Special classrooms with Multi-purpose Podium, Projection system, Lecture recording & Audio system.
• Acclaimed Faculty with global exposure; visiting foreign faculty; Point-to-Point and Multipoint Video conferencing for interaction with globally acclaimed teachers.
• Five story modern NIFTEM Knowledge Centre (library) in 6580m² area.
• Online access to about 4000 e-journals/books through DELNET, DIAA and other resources at library.
• Experiential learning opportunities through industry internship & business incubation centres.
• Unique opportunity for meritorious students to work at Foreign Universities/Research Centres under its international student exchange programmes.
• Training and Placement Support Cell.

Innovative concepts in education at NIFTEM

The benchmark set by NIFTEM is to be innovative and world class in all its academic endeavours. UGC has granted NIFTEM a deemed to be University status under De-novo Category meant for institutions devoted to innovations in teaching and research in emerging areas of knowledge as unique accomplishment. The focal areas of NIFTEM are teaching, research, consultancy, skill development, business incubation and enterprise development. It has:

• Unique curriculum of B.Tech./M.Tech. blended with technology and management.
• Innovative globally benchmarked curriculum.
• Innovative approach for teaching through e-contents in an interactive mode and facilitating learning through mind maps, role playing and scenario analysis.
• Providing complete understanding of food chain and its socio-technical issues through a unique “Village Adoption Programme” incorporated in the academic programmes.
• Experiential learning through five pilot scale food processing plants and incubation centres in the campus followed by strong institute-industry linkages.

Career opportunities in Food Sector

Food Industry in the country looks forward to a rapid growth with change in socio-economic environment and food consumption pattern of the prospering population in general and of the youth in particular. Indian Food Processing industry is growing at a rate of 23% per annum as compared to the total industrial growth of 7%, in the country. The food processing sector had attracted a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of 188.67 million US$ in 2010-11. A study conducted by Institute of Applied Manpower Research (IAMR) predicts that, there is a wide skill gap at various levels in food sector touching around 35 million by 2017. Thus food industries are going to be a major employer in the coming future.

NIFTEM aims to expand food technology research and education far beyond the conventional realm, by covering upstream food technology disciplines and providing exposure to its students in cutting edge areas of relevance. The focus of NIFTEM transcends beyond traditional technology applications, so as to provide better career prospects to students in the field of Food Technology & Management to enable them to meet the demands of high-end professionals in Food Industry. Industries have given feedback difficulties in recruiting suitably trained manpower and there is a huge shortage of the same. The curriculum at NIFTEM has been designed as per the specific needs of the industry. Hence, the job prospects for graduate and post-graduate students of NIFTEM are extremely bright and it is expected that, they would be suitably placed at levels comparable to the best in allied sectors in the country.

Academic endeavours at NIFTEM

NIFTEM is making an effort to seamlessly blend various facets of the food industry from production to retail, to ensure that all those involved in these activities reap the maximum possible benefits. It envisages being a focal point for catalyzing the growth of Food Processing Industries. The Institute is offering B.Tech., M.Tech. and Ph.D. degree programmes in Food Technology and Management and at the same time taking up initiatives for research and extension activities. For designing the curriculum of the proposed B.Tech. and M.Tech. courses, a Task Force of subject experts was constituted. They prepared a detailed syllabus which was sent for an extensive review to about 250 distinguished professionals in the area of food science and technology both at the national as well as the international level. The results of the same have now been compiled and inducted as per the suggestions and comments proposed by the reviewers from the food processing industry, as well the academic institutes. A unique flavour of the curriculum is the blend of technology and management which is reflected in the undergraduate and post graduate programmes of NIFTEM.

B.Tech Programme:

At undergraduate level NIFTEM offers B.Tech. degree programme in Food Technology and Management. This programme is unique in india and blends the basic essence of Food Science, Engineering and Management, meeting the needs of the food sector. The duration of the course is four years divided into two semesters per year.

M.Tech Programmes:

Five M.Tech. programmes are being offered since the academic year 2012-13. These programmes provide freedom to choose a broad area of specialisation through programme specific thematic areas and electives offered within the programmes. Following are the five M.Tech. programmes being offered since 2012-13.

• M.Tech. (Food Supply Chain Management) - offered by Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
• M.Tech. (Food Safety and Quality Management) - offered by Department of Basic and Applied Science.
• M.Tech. (Food Process Engineering and Management) - offered by Department of Food Engineering.
• M.Tech. (Food Plant Operations Management) - offered by Department of Food Business Management & Entrepreneurship Development
• M.Tech. (Food Technology and Management) - offered by Department of Food Science and Technology.

Ph.D Programme:

NIFTEM has launched Ph.D. programme from 2013-14 in each of the above five departments with an in take of two students in each department with the provisions of reservation as per Government of India rules. Ph.D. regulations have been prepared and uploaded on the website of NIFTEM.