Mysore/Mysuru: A six-week Technology-based Entrepreneurship Development Programme (TEDP) on ‘Food Technology’ organised by the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) and Institution Innovation Council (IIC) of GSSS Institute of Engineering & Technology for Women (GSSSIETW), Mysuru, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (GoI), concluded on Mar. 8. 

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, on Jan. 25.

The main objective of this programme was to develop entrepreneurs in food processing sector. In all, 50 participants registered for this national level TEDP. Eminent resource persons from CFTRI, Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and other Government sectors handled topics that included entrepreneurship, scheme of assistance, project selection and its pre feasibility, soft-skill development, consolidation of business idea, business plan preparation and technical training.

Seven modules spanning for six weeks included delivering awareness in inculcating the spirit of entrepreneurship in participants, the content on Project Selection & its Pre Feasibility, methodology related to consolidation of business ideas, means of selecting business ideas and discussions related to various aspects on market survey and management inputs such as finance, marketing strategy, legal issues, human resource management. The last module covering the technical training concerned to food technology on latest topics was handled by subject experts from NIFTEM, GoI, Haryana, for four days. 

All the participants were provided with hands-on training in indigenous technologies developed by R&D institutions for commercial exploitation. The event concluded with the valedictory function along with the participants feedback session. 

DST Observer Dr. Lakshmi Jagannathan, CEO, DERBI Foundation, Bengaluru and Dr. M. Shivakumar Principal, GSSSIETW, were present on the occasion.

The programme was coordinated by Dr. S. Padmashree, Principal Investigator and Professor, Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering (ECE), Dr. P. Raviraj, IIC Coordinator and Professor, Department of CSE and other Dept. level EDC Coordinators.