January 10, 2025
A collaborative effort between C-DAC Kolkata, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development Imphal, NIT Nagaland, and IIT Hyderabad culminated in a stakeholders' meeting on January 10th, 2025. The meeting, titled "Application of ICT and Electronics towards Processed Food Quality Estimation," built upon the successful completion of the "e-GUNA" project, funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which focused on sensory assessment for fermented foods from Northeast India. The meeting specifically addressed the application of sensory assessment technologies to these regional products.
The welcome address was delivered by Dr. Alokesh Ghosh, Head of Agri and Environmental Electronics at C-DAC Kolkata. Following this, esteemed speakers including Dr. Om Krishan Singh, Joint Director of MeitY, Prof. Dr. B.K. Yadav from National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur, and the Chief Guest, Prof. Rajib Bandyopadhyay from Jadavpur University, shared their insights.
A key highlight was the unveiling of innovative "e-GUNA" prototypes developed within the project. Partner institutions presented advancements in sensing technologies for fermented food quality assessment. Experts from C-DAC Kolkata, IBSD Imphal, IIT Hyderabad, and NIT Nagaland showcased their contributions. Furthermore, an interactive session moderated by Prof. Rajib Bandyopadhyay fostered discussions among stakeholders from academia, industry, R&D labs, and startups.Industry representatives from organizations such as Keventers, Texcera Enterprises, Amity, Adani AI, Ichamati Co-op Ltd., and notable agro-companies deliberated on the theme "Indigenous Technologies towards Agri and Environmental Electronics: Lab to Commercialization." Furthermore, representatives from the Directorate of Horticulture in West Bengal underscored the pressing need for practical applications and industry alignment in advancing these technologies. In addition, Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) officials emphasized the necessity for certification of handheld devices.
The meeting concluded with a focus on the transformative potential of technology in the food processing sector and the importance of bridging the gap between research and market applications. Dr. Om Krishan Singh, Scientist D at MeitY, delivered the closing remarks, commending the collaborative spirit of all stakeholders in advancing innovation for sustainable food quality assessment.
