Rs 3.28 cr food incubation centre to be set up at Sirsa varsity

Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU), Sirsa, may soon get a Common Incubation Centre (CIC) for food processing. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has recommended a proposal worth Rs 3.28 crore for the project.

The final approval is expected next week.

The centre will be the first-of-its-kind in the district and is seen as an important step for local development.

CDLU Vice-Chancellor Prof Vijay Kumar shared that the centre will provide employment and self-employment opportunities to youth and women. It will also help increase farmers'' income, promote clean and quality food, and support branding and marketing of local products.

Prof Kumar congratulated Project Director Dr Manju Nehra for this achievement. Dr Nehra, who is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, said that the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Ludhiana, will be the mentor institute for this project.

The centre will serve as a complete platform for production, training, quality control, food testing and business development. It will include three modern food processing units and a high-tech food testing lab. The centre will mainly focus on dairy, bakery, and fruits & vegetable processing, offering hands-on training with modern technologies.