Chirag Paswan inaugurates Food Incubation Processing Centre at Tezpur University

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TEZPUR: Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan on Friday inaugurated a Food Processing Incubation Centre at Tezpur University established under the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The facility, developed by the Department of Food Engineering and Technology with a grant-in-aid of Rs 275 lakh, aims to promote entrepreneurship, technology adoption and value addition in the food processing sector. 

The Union Minister inaugurated the centre by unveiling the inauguration stone and cutting the ribbon, and later interacted with PMFME beneficiaries, start-up representatives, faculty members and other stakeholders at the incubation facility.

A formal function was subsequently held at the Kalaguru Bishnuprasad Rabha (KBR) Auditorium of the university. The programme was attended by Prof. Amarendra Kumar Das, Vice Chancellor (Acting) of Tezpur University; Meghna Nidhi Dahal, Managing Director of Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC); D. Praveen, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries; and Tezpur MLA Prithiraj Rabha, among other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Paswan encouraged young people and aspiring entrepreneurs to consider the food processing sector as a promising avenue for innovation and enterprise. With the growing demand for processed and packaged food products, there is significant scope for start-ups, small businesses, and technology-driven ventures in areas such as food preservation, packaging, product development, and supply chain management.

Referring to the regional context, he noted that Assam possesses a rich agricultural heritage, with abundant production of fruits, vegetables, spices, and other farm products. However, much of this produce still lacks adequate value addition and organized processing. In this regard, he emphasized that food processing incubation centres can play an important role in providing technical support, training, infrastructure, and mentorship to entrepreneurs.

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