Mysore/Mysuru: A capacity building training on food processing for both entrepreneurs and  aspiring entrepreneurs from SC and ST communities was held at CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in city. The programme is a collaboration of CSIR-CFTRI with National SC-ST Hub (NSSH), Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, New Delhi. 

The first training (Jan.6 -13) was inaugurated by A. Kokila, Head, National SC-ST Hub, Regional Office, Bengaluru. Speaking on the occasion, she said “National SC-ST Hub is formed to encourage SC-ST entrepreneurs and since 2017 has been helping the SC-ST entrepreneurs.” 

Highlighting the opportunities available for SC-ST entrepreneurs, she said that “only 0.5% of the reserved 4% quota for procurement from SC-ST  producers is being utilised by the Public Sector Units.” NSSH has been formed to address this problem of low-procurement by Public Sector Units from SC-ST manufacturers.

“The NSSH will be there to hand-hold the entrepreneurs after the training, for helping with financing, marketing and management of enterprises,” she said and urged the entrepreneurs to go out and face the world. 

Dr. KSMS Raghavarao, Director, CSIR-CFTRI, highlighted the efforts of the Institute in capacity-building in the food processing sector. 

“CSIR-CFTRI has designed training programme keeping in mind the budding, the aspiring as well as the existing entrepreneurs who want to expand and diversify,” he said.  

Recalling the words of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar that the SC-ST community were job-seekers because they did not own lands, he said “entrepreneurship will change all that.  They need not only be job-seekers, but can also be job-givers and job- creators.” Entrepreneurship is not a cake walk, but is a travel on a untrodden path and hence has its failures, he opined. 

“CSIR-CFTRI would like to work towards establishing a SC-ST industry hub in and around Mysuru,” he said. 

Dr. V.D. Nagaraju, Chief Scientist, CFTRI,  Shivaswamy, President, CFTRI SC/ST Employees Association, also spoke. Dr. Ajay Tumaney, Principal Scientist welcomed. Dr. Vijayanand, Chief Scientist, CFTRI, proposed a vote of thanks.

The training programme was offered free of cost to the candidates and is funded by NSSH. In the first programme, 24 candidates participated. For further information contact Ph: 0821-2515910 or Mob: 98866-40328 or email: [email protected], according to a press release from A.S.K.V.S. Sharma, Coordinator, Information and Publicity.