Prof. Karamjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor inaugurated a state-of-the-art Food Processing Unit at the Dietetics and Nutrition Division, Department of Agriculture of the Guru Nanak Dev University. The University has taken this major step in advancing research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in food technology under RUSA 2.0 and spearheaded by the Golden Jubilee Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (GJCEI) of the University.
The inauguration was attended by renowned Japanese scientists, Dr. Renu Wadhwa and Dr. Sunil Kaul from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan, alongside faculty members, students, and staff from the agriculture department. Highlighting the significance of this initiative, Prof. Karamjeet Singh stated that the facility is among the few institutions in India offering an end-to-end food processing ecosystem—from raw material handling to market-ready product development.
He emphasized its role in fostering sustainable, innovative food solutions and supporting agripreneurs and startups in establishing viable businesses in the food processing sector. He further emphasized its potential to strengthen industry collaborations, improve food quality and sustainability, and serve as a premier training hub for students, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
Dr. P. K. Pati, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Coordinator for the Centre for Agricultural Research and Innovation (CARI), elaborated on the unit’s capabilities. He noted that the facility houses a line extruder for continuous food production, enabling the manufacturing of breakfast cereals, snack foods, pet food, pasta, noodles, and textured vegetable proteins.
With this initiative, GNDU continues to reinforce its commitment to research excellence, industry partnerships, and groundbreaking advancements in agri-food processing.